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The Footsteps of the Ancient King.

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As a young boy, I was captivated by the story of King Arthur, and his knights of the round table. In many ways looking back I can see how a story of a great unifier of people during dark times, would last from the dark ages right through until modern times. The promise of his return to unite and recover this nation if dark times should blight our coasts again, stuck a chord with me, and in many ways, gave me a hope and optimism that in the future, brighter days would arrive.

The story of Arthur was inspiring to many, and has over the years been established in myth and legend, and yet there is a great deal of evidence to show, that during those times of the dark ages and the early medieval era, that there was a figure of great power who shaped the future of this land. Whether or not it was Arthur, or someone likened to him, is not really that relevant, what matters is the symbol of that first one true king, as a figure of great power that united us all in a common goal that led to the survival of the people.

For me as a young lad, it was inspirational, and even now as I age, I find I am still inspired by such an amazing figure head to begin what would become the true lines of all future kings. The idea of one person who stood by us and supported us, and fought for what was right for us and the good of the land, truly is what legends should be.

Gallos – Tintagel Cornwall

I was so enamoured with the tale, that it inspired in me an eight-book series of adventure fantasy books, based on similar principles of one man who would rise to unite us all, in Heirs to the Kingdom. Earlier this year, I had the joy of travelling to Cornwall to see a statue created in honour of Arthur, named Gallos, the traditional Cornish word for power, for that is what a king stood for, the power to protect and the power to defend, whilst standing unwavering against the current events unfolding within the nation.

As a fifty eight year old, standing there beside a statue I had yearned to see, I felt the power of the land below me, in what was the legendary place of Arthur’s birth, Tintagel, and it felt emotional as a huge wave of life long emotion washed a round inside me. I feel it is a moment in my life I will never forget, and in many ways, I could see, that the boy who dreamed of a future held safe by a king had not diminished with age, he was still there alive and well, deep down inside me.

Standing with Gallos

Those times passed away into a future, that was built and moulded around a new rising power, the power of Rome and Christianity, as it increased it’s hold on many continents and arrived again long after the Roman invasion on the boats of William, as he sailed to defeat the last truly Celtic king of this land, King Harold. Christianity has become the bedrock on which modern western civilisation has been built, and shaped the narrative of our societies for hundreds of years, wiping away the truth of the Pagan past and the long-held traditions of its people, one of which was Arthur.

I think it would be fair to say, that over the years, religion combined with monarchs of power, has at times been abusive to the common people. I could list a few who could be blamed for their divisive tactics that tore aspects of this nation apart, and in doing so, brought down the ideals of what the legend Arthur stood for. In my life I have noted many moments where I felt a monarch of the past over reached on their role, and seized power to use and abuse, and I could say the same for organised religion. Even now in this modern time, if you look up the word ‘Pagan’ in the dictionary, you will find its meaning as Heathen, one without religious belief, such is the power of Christianity, and their monarchs of faith.

At times it feels like the power of Arthur has diminished, but in recent days, even though this country feels the sadness, we must look to the long reign of Elizabeth II and see that not all was lost. The passing of her highness the Queen, on September 8th 2022, once again marks another significant change to the future of this noble land. For seventy years she has ruled, and to a degree restored many of the attributes of our lost king of legend Arthur.

Queen Elizabeth was known for her unwavering dedication to her role, of which she administered it with great dignity and efficiency. Her warmth and vast knowledge of past events, gave her a unique wisdom, and within that she has advised Prime Ministers and world leaders for her entire reign. I have met many, who have wished to end the monarchy and do away with the pageantry of our rich historical past, and I have always argued that it should remain as an integral part of the nation and society we live in, as it does date back to those times of a one true king and the knights code that he bestowed upon them.

Queen Elizabeth, I feel was a shinning example of a figurehead whose soul aim was to unite the land around her, I would even argue that she even succeeded where Arthur failed. The monarchy is a symbol of a past that was built around the belief that we should conduct our lives with kindness, honour and respect for all, welcoming them to join with us and work for the common good. Regards of your own personal views about wealth, her devotion to her duty and her relentless energy has been a light that guided her parliament and at times ourselves through what have been at times turbulent years.

She was a remarkable woman, who played a huge role in the creation of the commonwealth, advised our ministers, and took a deep interest in the peace treaty that was signed in Ireland, which when you consider the dark times we encountered back in the seventies, was a hugely significant role and example for her to set. I remember watching the TV in disbelief, as she shook hands with Martin McGuinness on her visit to Ireland after the agreement had been signed. It felt like a monumental moment in history, and as all of the politicians who were involved have stated, it was hugely symbolic act of unification between two deeply divided sides. She wanted peace, she wanted the hate to stop and for everyone to live together in stable communities, and I feel, in that moment, she too matched Arthur in his fight to bring all the clans of this nation together.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth swore an oath to its people on the day she was crowned, and she never wavered once from it. Like most families, she was also a mother and grandmother, who had all of the same ups and downs as we have, and yet she remained on the ball, and at her post no matter what events shook her family. She promoted this country and brought to it a lot of trade deals, her commonwealth tours always gave this nation the upper hand in its ministerial dealings, and it is easy to forget how very influential she was and how all of us benefitted from the jobs, wealth and prosperity that came to these Isles because of her. Her sense of duty to this nation was deep, as was seen in the final two days of her life, where even though ill, she made sure she was available to meet and endorse a new Prime Minister of her government. She was an icon, and the most famous woman in the world, which is duly noted from the sad messages of love and affection shown to us by every nation on the planet.

Looking back as I sit here, I feel Queen Elizabeth restored something back to the monarchy, that had been tarnished in the past, that linked her back to the early days of the ruling Celts of this land. She restored dignity, duty, compassion, and devotion to her position as ruler. This land has been ruled under her watchful eyes for seventy years, and it has prospered, in relative peace. Unlike a president who can only look back on their position for a couple of terms, she had seventy years of knowledge at her disposal, as she studied the politics of the day, and took great note of the outcomes, always asking her Prime Ministers what affects it would have on the future of the people. All of this nation’s leaders have been grateful recipients of her wisdom and advice as she used examples of leaders such a Churchill to guide their hands in their administering of affairs, I very much doubt, future kings or queens will rule with such dedication as fairly as she has.

1926 – 2022

For the next ten days, we will mourn her loss, and then a new Heir to the Kingdom will rise, and his rule will be judged on her standard. Only time will tell if he can emulate her role, as he has big shoes to fill, but as I think back at this moment, I feel Elizabeth did Arthur proud, and if a day arises where he returns, I am sure he would speak kindly of her, for I feel she followed in his footsteps in the most admirable way.

God Bless Queen Elizabeth II, and long live King Charles III.

Grief, Loss, And Fantasy.

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One of the hardest things in life to lose, is someone so important, that your life falls into a void of pain and inability to understand a future without this all important person, in your life.

It is tragic and so difficult, as for years, you have had the joy of knowing this one special person that is always there to show you kindness and love… And suddenly… They are gone!

It happened to me, and I have spent many years trying to find a meaning within the pain I felt and the loss I feel. This is not an easy topic to write a book about, how can it be, it is sad, who would read that?

It is a question I have asked myself for some time, and a few years back, as I considered this topic, whilst up to my ears in HTTK, and outlining a few other things I wanted to write about, I had an idea… What if I could present this story, in a way that would enlighten a reader, express my feelings, and yet provide a smile, and a ray of hope to my character?

Han’s Cottage, by Robin and Rin Zara Morgan

I had no idea at that moment of the kind of book I was going to write, I felt I needed to write it, and I needed to write it simply because at that time no one really understood how I was feeling, and I wanted to express it, so that others understood. What began in that moment was the book I am about to publish, entitled, Han’s Cottage.

My problem was, that I was tired of being told, “You will get over it.” And “You have to move on, it will get better with time.” And not forgetting the old icon, “Time heals all wounds.” Honestly, it is patronising and it pissed me off, because they had no understanding of what this felt like for me. I still had the problem, that a book about the journey through grief, was a pretty heavy subject to wite about, and honestly, I needed a book that would at least gain enough interest to sell a few copies.

I sat back and pondered what should a good book really have to keep a reader enjoying the story, and turning the pages? I had written HTTK, so that was not that difficult to work out.

A good story in my opinion, needs, firstly a focal character in hopefully a difficult situation, well I had that, a villain or two, an element of fun and cheer, and a really good plot line to bind them all up in. because I love fantasy, and I needed to lighten the subject material, I introduced the secret element, and that all brought with it, some magic and mystery, and with all of that, I knew, I could write something worth reading.

For this particular story, I knew that the icing on the cake, was going to be experience, and I had that, I have lived it, and so shrouded some of my personal feelings, and mixed them around with others I have spoken to, and created the character of Emily Montgomery Duncan. Daughter of business tycoon, John Duncan, a man who was so destroyed by his grief, he forgot his daughter was a very important part, of the woman he lost.

I set the story up in the 20th year of Emily’s life, after a life of boarding school and University, and threw in her best friend and flat mate Shelly. I moved them both to another city, and gave Emily the job of working for an utter ass hat, and I sat down, and began to write the passing of her grandmother, who was the only real family she had ever really known, as her Grandma Han had raised her through every school holiday since age four, and I had the perfect start to a story.

I began with a story that would be the story of the journey that takes us through the process of grief, and also, that one question everyone wants an answer to, “What comes next?” No one really knows what the afterlife is all about, how could we, in order to know we must end our life here. Religion has a few variations, and other people have their personal spiritual views, as do I, but what I wanted, was something plausible, something that to a degree held a truth. As my readers know, within Heirs to the Kingdom, I took mythology and history, and blurred the lines a little to create something a little more believable, if not also a little bit romanticised.

I wanted to do the same thing here, my problem was, the topic I wanted to use was science. Enter the best friend, a paranormal investigator, and lover of folklore, who was terrified of ghosts… Well, you know, a smile helps break the tension?

The greatest thing about science, is it is theory, until it is disproven, it is considered fact, and once disproven, the theory changes. Talk about an invite to really blur the lines, which happens to be one of my favourite things to do, and it instantly occurred to me, one could use the same approach to spirits and mythology, it was like a eureka moment, as my brain spun out of control, as I realised, what is the one thing that baffles everyone, and drives scientist into melt down?

MAGIC!

They hate it, they constantly dismiss it, and the same goes for ghosts, spooks and all manner of the spirit world, they blatantly refuse to accept it, because there is no credible evidence, it felt like my invite to the game. I posed the question, what if there was another intelligent life form, what if it had learned from the humans and decided they were too dangerous to interact with?

Okay, so I spiralled for a while into conspiracy theories, but I still asked the questions, is Loch Ness really a myth, could a Yeti or big foot really exist and not be discovered? Scientist always tell us, “There is no credible evidence.” Well, if that is the case, why do so many people believe in them? So Okay, I am playing devils advocate, but hey, I am writer.

It appeared to me, conspiracy is a little like science theory, it is a fact, until it is disproved, sounds like magic to me. (Giggles) I knew I could take something wonderful, and work it into the story, and in doing so, I would return to what is one of my favourite aspects of reading and writing, I could throw in a lot of fantasy, and boy have I? Enter new characters Felix and Esme, and that is about as much as I am prepared to give away at this point before publication.

As I started to write, I knew I had something special, yes, it had sadness and a few moments that would make a reader take a breath and swallow hard. But, it also had joy, oh, such joy. Emily was made an ecologist, and staunch believer in science, and then I added the one thing she would never expect, the one thing she could never accept, and I rolled them up into the most wonderful and beautiful secret, and made it the life of her recently deceased Grandmother Han. I set it to a background of beautiful untouched wilderness, and then made Emily the soul owner, and person responsible for everything, and it was her task to discover the secret of her grandmothers beautiful and enchanting life, and all whilst having her terrified ghost hunting friend at her side. VCP have written the synopsis, which I will add below.

Han’s Cottage. (Violet Circle Publishing)

 Emily Montgomery Duncan lost her mother at age four, her father fell apart, Emily ended up at boarding school. In her holidays, she came home to her Grandma Hanna and the only real home she ever knew. Shortly before her 21st birthday, the call came, Han, had passed away and her whole world collapsed.

Shortly after the funeral, Emily discovers she has inherited the cottage and all the land around, not her aunt, as she expected, but the thought of living in the cottage without Han, is so unbearable, she spends a year, lost, alone, and torn into pieces, as her uncle constantly tries to push her into selling the cottage and all the land to him, driving her to breaking point.

In a moment of anger, supported by her best friend Shelly, Emily decides to return, and as she confronts her life without Han, she discovers, Han had a very secret life, one she could never imagine.

What follows, is an enchanting, magical fantasy story, of wonder and beauty, as Robin John Morgan, has created a delightful Fairy Story for Grownups, that looks at life, loss, and the magic that surrounds all of us, in a thrilling and captivating way that is a joy to read. An amazing book, from the Author of Heirs to the Kingdom, Rise of the Raven, and The Curio Chronicles.

My wife was, as always, the first to read it, and she absolutely has fallen in love with it, which was a massive relief to me. This is a special story for me, it is almost sacred, as I have given Emily a great deal of my own experience, not all, but a good measure. In many ways, I feel the book has a slight innocence to it, which just adds to the enchantment of the story.

I have only ever wanted to be taken seriously as a writer of stories, and I hope with this book, I can add more weight to that, and people start to understand, that this still relatively unknown writer, is really dedicated to the kinds of stories I want to share.

I like my stories to reflect the truth, HTTK did as it highlighted the truth of the immorality we see in the world. The Curio Chronicles, whilst really blatant and in your face at times, also highlighted the power of victimising and shaming. With this book, I want to highlight the power and depths of the human spirit, I want readers to see how powerful our feelings can be, and yet how fragile at times it can make all of us feel. I also want, as I have in everything I write, to show how powerful and important friendship is, and how it can shape our life in such wonderful ways.

Han’s Cottage, I hope will do all of the above, and I hope that yes, if it does choke you up at times, you will also smile, because the hope and optimism that runs through every page, is there to show every reader, that no matter what, we can still love, we can always remember, and we can cherish every second of our magical lives.

As always, I really do hope you enjoy this book, and I thank everyone of you who has played a part in supporting my writing life. Han’s Cottage will be out in September, I hope you will read it.

Freedom – Truth

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Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. (Martin Luther King)

My whole life has been lived with the goal of freedom, and as a writer, it is a common theme of the stories I write. In Abigail’s Summer, part one of the Curio Chronicles, Marjorie Wallace has her ‘Transient Watch’ which is a group of residents, with the soul aim of spotting and removing undesirables from the village.

Their definition of an undesirable, would be a person who does not look like or act like the residents of Wotton would wish them too. I know that treatment well, as a young teenage hippie, I did not look like others wanted me to, and I did not fit in with their idea of what a young teenage boy should look like, and for that, I was shunned and shamed.

My grandmother told me I looked like a scarecrow, and I was an embarrassment to the family, and she was ashamed of me, I am quite sure Marjorie and her would have had a lot in common. Her friends reported everything I did in the local town, which to be honest was just walking around with friends, having a laugh, or campaigning for a good cause, of which I did a great deal. I was often questioned and shamed for what I saw as just living my own life my own way.

I had a lot of pressure placed on me to conform, usually by shouting yelling and shaming, so in many ways, my fight for to be free, has at times been a life long aim of my own life. I guess you could say, that was when my fight for individual freedom began.

I have sat for three weeks watching live streams on You Tube, as I watched the most surprising of people, rebel against the system and ask for their freedom to be restored. I am not that interested in the politics of this situation, if anything over the last few years I have become so tired of politics, I given up listening, but I do understand a stifled voice, I do understand being ignored, and I most certainly recognise acts of repression. It feels today, when one of the politest countries on the planet fights for it’s freedom to simply live a normal life.

In Heirs to the Kingdom, Robert Loxley fights for the freedom for everyman to have a life that includes, a safe home, and the space for a family to grow. In Rise of the Raven, Branna yearns to be considered as a dark haired Fae, equal to those of fair hair in her own realm. In the Curio Chronicles, Abigail yearns to simply be accepted as she is, and be allowed to be herself, and allowed to live as she chooses.

These are such simple things, they are not grand goals, and yet in all three stories similar to all those across the world who fight, they are denied. I suppose in many ways, I identify with all of my characters, as it is a strong theme of my own life, and in many ways, my fiction represents aspects of real life. From my point of view, all of my characters have a good point, their wishes to live a life of their choosing unharmed, or to look and dress as they choose, and live an unconventional lifestyle, or to simply be recognised as an equal within the confines of their society. For them, that is just a normal life, and I have to ask, isn’t that what all of us of want?

I consider myself lucky, I live in a democracy under the UK law, I have those freedoms, the right to think, the right to speak, and question. I can dress as I choose, even if it is frowned upon. I can leave my home and walk peacefully around my own town, and even though I find myself lost in the political wilderness, I still have the freedom to protest, and the right to vote in an election. Most importantly in today’s society, I have the right to choose what I put inside my own body, which is probably why for the last 42 years of life, I have been a vegetarian.

I have been surprised by Canada, I was under the concept that Canadians were warm caring friendly people, I have extended family there, so when I heard there was a protest, apart from being very surprised, I tuned into the news media to watch, as another very strong part of who I am, is I have always sought the truth.

Watching the Canadian TV news channels, I found myself surprised, the thought of Canada running wild with truckers’ intent on destroying their country, really shocked me. I do not watch TV, everything I watch is on You Tube, and so naturally, three weeks ago the algorithm started to show me streamers who were live on the scene. It was startling to witness the difference between the Mainstream Media News, and simply armature on the scene streamers, as they were telling very opposing stories.

I have an open mind, so tuned in, where I was confronted with just ordinary people, with a mobile phone, walking round Ottawa talking to people, and suddenly I started to see a very different story. You can imagine my surprise, to start to see things like social media pages linked to protestors, being banned on social media, Events miss quoted or painted as criminal by the Conventional News Media, and named called and shammed by their own government.

The more I watched the live streams, such as “Viva Frei, UOttawaScotty, Ottawalks, Travel fun 69, and more,” the more I began to realise, that a huge amount of these protestors were my age, and they sounded very familiar. The painted a picture of a peaceful protest, and preached love and brotherhood and community, the very same things that my teenage friends preached, and suddenly, it felt like my generation had come back to guide the young to the truth of real peaceful protest.

The job of a journalist, is to report the facts, and question. Sadly that is no longer a truth.

For a few years now, we have seen protests that involved riot’s, car and building fires, and looters, and yet over in Canada, the truckers protest, had free food for all, safe spaces for kids to play, free hugs, no violence, dancing, smiles, and bouncy castles. The streamers interviewed the truckers and visitors, simply stopping them in the street and asking them what they thought, and every response was the same. “It is warm, friendly, peaceful and wonderful.”

Like most things, early on in the protest, a person was seen with a swastika flag, and one seen with a confederate flag, and the mainstream media was quick to pounce. All of the protest members were smeared, and painted with a tarred brush, none of them reported how the protesters had evicted the two individuals from the protest. Sadly, it became part of the rhetoric of the prime minister of Canada, who refused to speak with them about their grievances, and having had years of my life protesting myself, I could not understand how he would dismiss and turn his back on them, when he has met other far more violent rioter groups in the past?

The media and the Prime Minister of Canada’s truth, are fake, this protest is nothing at all like they say, one comment I heard that I think really fits, is, it is like “Woodstock with Trucks.”

To be honest it is not hard to understand, as there has been a new wave of globalist socially divisive views sweeping the planet, which many political parties appear to be embracing, it is fuelled by power and greed. Sound familiar, I am sure Mason Knox would fit right in? It is not for me, and as a life long libertarian, I find myself unable to buy into such divisive beliefs, that gives one kind of person, more rights than another. I have always looked at everyone as a unique individual, who has the same rights and equality, which apparently is appearing more and more to be seen as an out of date view.

  As I have listened to people talk, I saw very quickly that Canada had been suffering for two years of continuous lockdowns and restrictions, their lives have been turmoil, as their freedoms have been eroded, with mandate after mandate from the government, and I could really understand people saying enough is enough.

In the UK we had lockdowns, but here we are seeing the restrictions lifted, and as a parent that has been through home schooling, and deep worry for my family, I feel a huge sense of relief as normality slowly returns, as it has across many nations of the world.

I cannot deny watching streamers interview ordinary people and protestors, I feel for them. Even with less restrictions on my life here in the UK, I have seen how it has affected the emotional and mental welfare of my own family, and I really am not sure I could cope with much more. We have at least had small breaks, and I will not deny, looking at the world around us all, I can understand these people’s frustration, and why they feel so left behind and let down.

In Canada freedom is under threat, free speech is being stifled, as it moves towards something of a government controlled police state. It is heart breaking to watch, and I fear for my children and ask, will this ever happen in the UK? If Canada falls, so will the rest of the free world.

As I watch the screen for well over 30 hours of streams from these new truth seeking streamers, I can only think of the struggles from my own life and of my characters, and yet I feel hope, as I watch journalist shammed for following a political party line, and an out break of solidarity and community washing across the world from Canada. I hope the young are watching and taking note, as us old folks from the freedom movement of the 1970’s hand over the baton of peace, freedom and truth to the younger generations. Let us hope their voices do not get snuffed out.

I want to weep for those peaceful protesters, who have a government backed police state, that I am watching tweet that they will euthanise truckers pets, smash truck windows and drag drivers out, threaten to take protesters children away, freeze bank accounts, all with the aim of intimidating normal hard working people. Fear is a mighty weapon, and you can see it in action in Canada. The truth is meaningless and Freedom is dying, watch and learn, because it could be coming to us all.

In Canada freedom is under threat, free speech is being stifled, as it moves towards something of a government controlled police state. It is heart breaking to watch, and I fear for my children and ask, will this ever happen in the UK? If Canada falls, so will the rest of the free world.

Only when you are silenced, will you truly understand what you have lost. Robin John Morgan.

Yuletide

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  On the late afternoon of December 21st, he had returned, and with Runestone, they led the vigil in the old stone circle above the stockade and celebrated the Winter Solstice, and the going down of the sun on the shortest day of the year.

  Rune had smiled with joy as they headed back to the Mere in the darkness, and placed a fat heavy log on the fire to banish the darkness and celebrated with wine and ale. It was a time of family, and together they decorated the house with fresh holly and mistletoe, and Rune laughed with delight as Robbie carried in a large potted pine, to decorate with small decorations made of woven straw, and biscuits hung on red ribbon.

  The tree was topped with an elaborately made five pointed star of silver, which was their first ever Yule gift as a couple, and made by Jade’s skilled hand.

   All round the house candles burned, casting a warm flickering glow across everything, as the house rang to the sound of Rune, as she giggled with happiness while she prepared the meal for all the family who would be arriving shortly.

            Taken from “The Queen of the Violet Isle, HTTK Book Four.”

Green Man Yule.

Yule for me is time of darkness and light. At this time of year I always yearn to be alone and reflect on my year and my past, something that is not as possible now as I have a family. Before 2008 when I worked alone, I would always close up my shop at the end of the day of selling Christmas trees and wreaths, and walk home in the cold crisp air. On many occasions, I would divert from the road, and walk along the dark silent canal pathway, my mind lost in thoughtful reflection of my year. I think it was on one of those long walks home that I formulated what was to become the opening passage of book four, a section of which is at the top of this article.

The above passage from HTTK BK four, is based on real life events, and something I was a part of in my teenage years with a wonderful group of hippies, who changed my life, and showed me a way of living that was more in tune with who I was, and less in tune with the expectations of my family at that time. We numbered eight, of which today only three of us still live spread across three different countries, and on this day more than ever, I remember them and miss them dearly.

One figure more than any stands out for me, for she was the oldest of all us, and in many ways she became the focus of the character Steph in my books. I shall not name her out of respect for her family, for she walked from this realm and into another many years ago, and yet such was the power of her kindness and wisdom, I have never forgotten her, an feel privileged that I had a part in her life .

With her husband she made jewellery, and bags from cloth, she even knitted all of us warm hats and scarves, which she usually presented us with on Yule. Her husband was a Druid, and it was from him I learned a great deal of tree lore and the rituals of a Celtic past. My Steph figure was indeed a mother figure to all of us, even though she was only five years older than us, but even so her wisdom for her young years was honest, open, and deeply insightful. She gave me a lot of good advice at a time when I was lost, insecure, and looking for direction, and it was through her wisdom, which has stayed with me always, I think I found my way back into my love of plant lore and eventually writing.

I remember one Yule celebration and telling her how one person in my family life referred to me as the Scarecrow, and she smiled and asked how I felt about that. I was pretty scruffy at the time with my long tatty hair, faded Led Zeppelin tee, afghan coat, and patched pants, I told her it felt insulting and unjustified, and she simply smiled and asked, “are you ill at ease with the way you dress?” No I protested, I love how I dress, and her reply was simple, “Then embrace the Scarecrow, if you embrace it, then it will no longer feel unjust or an insult, I would say, it could be a compliment.” She gave a sly giggle and it made sense.

One particular member of my family expected our whole family to conform to her standards, I had refused to, and as a result of my teenage rebellion, I had embraced my free living side and joined the throng of growing hippies across the UK. She was appalled at it and refused to entertain me until I cut my shoulder length hair and changed my attire. Scarecrow was meant to be an insult, a means to shame me into conforming to her will, and so I embraced it and became more extreme, and whenever the insult was fired at me by herself or one of her pillar of society friends, I simply stood still and lifted my arms out in a Scarecrow pose. (I smile as write this)

It worked wonderfully, and soon the comments stopped. Embracing the Scarecrow took away my insecurity, and gave me the courage for the first time in my life to actually make a stand for who I was, and who I wanted to be. It felt like a life changing moment in my life at the time, and today as I look back, I can see how much of a difference it has made to the person I have become.

Every year on December 21st and 22nd, we all made our way to her house, and as the light of the day faded, all the lights in the house were extinguished, and we would gather around the hearth of the old open grate fire. She would say a small blessing and thank the world around us for the gifts of life, and the bounty of the wilds, and then she would lean forward and light the kindling stacked in the chimney grate. Once the fire began to burn, she would take a large cut log out of a basket, and place it on the fire to burn slowly over the coming days. Candles were lit from the burning fire and placed all around the house, bringing light to every room.

Once the fire was burning, and the house filled with light, her husband would carry in the tree of scots pine, one year we even had a holly bush in a huge pot, and we would all take part in the decoration of the tree. There were few baubles, and only a short string of electric lights, all the rest of the decorations were small neatly wrapped packages bearing the names of each of us, and special cookies that hung on red ribbons. Even now I still find it to be one of the most magical parts of my life, which is why many years back when I wrote the above passage for the fourth book, I wanted to save that very important moment of my life within its pages.

Drink mead and hail the Ancestors.

Yule was a time of friends and feasting, and all of us stayed together for the two days and laughed, talked and got quite drunk as I remember, I almost danced once such was the power of the home brew.

It is a memory filled with light, but also for myself edged with darkness, for I miss those wonderful people deeply at this time of year. Heirs to the Kingdom is more than just a story, it is the combination of a life, of love for people, and the adventures that are woven through all of my life of experience. I realise for most people it is simply a tale of adventure and fantasy, but I can assure you it is so much more than that, it is filled to the core with a life as real as your own, carefully written from hidden truth of a time long since gone, when people cared about each other and love had a true meaning between not just lovers, but true friends. The world has changed so much since that time, which is why it was so important for this memory to be kept alive in print.

On this day I gather my family around my own fire, and light a candle to light the darkness and pay tribute to my friends, and those other important special people I have lost from my life. Alone later I will sit and toast them, and then for a sad while I shall sit alone and remember them.

Whether you follow Yuletide or not, I send out my blessings and goodwill to all of you, may you walk on green paths with the trees above you, to keep you all safe from the storms of life next year and beyond.

Yuletide blessings to you all.

Kingdom Next Book Update

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It is hard to find a place to start.

Shortly the seventh book in the series will be available, and I am delighted with it. I have been on this particular book for two years, which is odd, because I knew before the first page exactly how this one was going to go as it races towards the final conclusion in book eight.

I have been creating threads and clues throughout all the books that would all come together in this particular one, which made for easy writing, but along the way I gained an extra book, as book five became five  and Five part two (Book six). That then meant the editing was a more difficult task to keep the books fresh and exciting, so when it came to this one, which has become the seventh book, the dilemma was not so much what to write, but the order in which the story unfolds.

Just to recap.

Robbie has struggled and finally overcome his inner fears, Runestone has finally received her final gift from the White Lord, Sapphire is in all sorts of dilemmas because of her confusion over her mind and heart, and she is also having graphic visions of some elements of the past. Jett with the sword of truth is gone forever, and Una has left on a task set for her by her grandfather many years ago. Opal is charging around in a panic over something she feels was done by the Queen of Fae, Eve has finally gone from the realm and is protecting the Star of the Merle forever, and to cap it all, Morgan has hit at the heart of the Woodland Realm by kidnapping Runestone and the Green Lord, whist springing a deadly trap to capture the Specialists. An awful lot has happened in just book six, and if you add to that all the books prior, there is a great deal to stitch together before the end.

The end of book six presented many facts and asked a huge amount of questions, and yes, very soon the answers will be arriving between the covers of Heirs to the Kingdom part seven, Bridge of Sequana. That was just the start of the notes to include in the book as I began my first draft, and since that day, I have been very carefully weaving together the story in a way that will unfold and hopefully take the readers breath away. There is no doubt this book will stir many emotions, but the one thing I hope is that the book is not predicable, this is a part of the story I have always looked forward to, as I know it will throw a curved ball into the mix, but as with everything that has been written to date, everything has been put there for a very good reason, and I think a little of this book, will have readers reflecting on the previous books, or at least that is my hope.

Halfway through this book I also started to write the final book, so I was working on seven and eight at the same time, mainly due to the fact that after ten years of writing none stop, the published books have caught up with my writing, and in order to build the climax and keep the momentum going, I want eight out on time with no delays.

I am really thrilled with Sequana, it has taken a huge amount of twisting and turning and clever editing, but the story is captivating, well-paced, and very hard to leave alone, I would imagine for those few diehard fans of HTTK (To whom I am so grateful) it will draw them in and hold them there entranced.

I am working now to get the book out asap, which due to the process will be late July onwards, just in time for sitting quietly in the Summer sunshine, and as you all read, I too will be out in the sun, tapping away to finally complete the series and tie up all the threads, (Talk about pressure) and create what is hopefully the best book yet. I am now sensing that feeling of approaching endings, and soon the story will finally be told as I leave the Woodland Realm for new pastures. It has been a thrilling adventure, and happily there is still some more to come before the end.

Enjoy book seven.

 

Robin.

The Eleventh Hour. (100 years on)

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Posted at 11am: 11th November 2014: 100 years after the end of World War One

 

11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. we will remember them.

11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. we will remember them.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month we will remember them. It is a saying that has resounded deeply within me for all of my life, and it is a good thing, because that one simple line carries the hopes and dreams of every man, woman, and child that lost their lives as part of one of the many conflicts that has scarred the life of mankind.

Today once again we mark the moment of the ending of World War One, later named the “Great War” and we stand together in silence as we remember that horrendous event that took the lives of so many of our young, and we remember them, and every life lost in conflicts around the globe since.

Think about that… Every life lost around the globe in conflicts since

Today it is 2014, exactly 100 years since the first world war. A war that witnessed the scenes of carnage and slaughter on a scale unprecedented in the modern era. Whole towns of our youngest stood together terrified and in many cases unable to talk or move, as they waited for the whistles that would take them over the walls of the trenches into a landscape of terror and carnage no one person should ever have to witness, to be cut down and trampled into the mud within the first one hundred yards of their defensive line.

They died for us… yes you sat reading this on your computer, phone or tablet. They believed in honour, they understood respect, and more than anything else, they alone made a choice based on their belief that we all should be given the right to be free. I often wonder as they felt the cold grip of death touch them, if they felt that the sacrifice they made felt like it was worth it?

Do you think as they lay there covered in blood dying in the mud, as the world around them screamed with the fear and the explosions of that moment of horror, they were comforted to know that the world that came after would be a better place, where man had learned enough to ensure something so terrible would never happen again?

I have taken part in many remembrance events in my life; I stood silently watching the faces of those old soldiers who carry that same haunted expression as the bugle sounds. I have witnessed the tears, as the memory of those times returns, and those individual moments of lost friends and heartbreak return again to the minds of those men who came back from war, forever changed, after seeing the horrors of combat. Ask any of them stood there proud that they played a part in something which was supposed to build a better world, if they want more conflicts in the world, I have, and I have never met any that want another world war, or war of any kind, what they want is for their sacrifice to have meant something.

The fact that there was a second world war, a Korean war, a Vietnam, or any of the many that has followed must feel like the biggest smack in the face to them, because they all agree on one single thing, they wanted their war to be the last.

I have never met a single parent who wants their children to die, and yet today we are still sending our young sons to face an enemy chosen by our governments, I cannot help but feel we have learned nothing in 100 years. We gather once a year and tell our young to wear the poppy of pride, and shed a tear for those who have fallen, and yet the list of those who die for us grows ever longer, it feels insulting to those who gave up everything, and has started to feel more like a pageant, than what it should be, a true and honest mark of respect, for the sacrifice those brave young men have made for our sakes. It should stand for more than just the assembly of officials with their political motivations, who gather around a stone monument and lay a wreath before it, in a routine show of mock gratitude, because until our leaders chose to walk the path of peace, their actions are false, and I feel strongly they disgrace the sacrifice made by those brave few.

We have learned nothing… our leaders have chosen ambition and capital gains above everything, and our freedoms as people have been slowly subverted. We do not live in a changed world, we are still surrounded by conflict, and where we do not fight, we sell our arms to the highest bidder. We arm factions and call them friends, who later become our enemies, and then we arm another faction to kill them and call them friend, only to once again label them enemy at a later date. We praise the capital we raise and spend yet more to create more aggressive weapons, and all the while those who died to create a better world lie silently sleeping unaware that to the leaders of this world, their sacrifice taught them nothing… its disgraceful and disrespectful.

In the UK today we have a government with debuts, who blame the benefit culture of the previous government for the woes of this land. We sneer at those who live on handouts from the state, yet no one mentions the debts we have piled up to create more weapons and troops to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan, wars that costs us millions every hour and have done so for the last decade. There is no coincidence that the rich sit quietly enjoying the profits of a campaign that brings in oil revenues and fat cheques from trade in those lands. We blame the poor, we let them suffer, and poverty is a crime in the UK.

We must honour the fallen; reintroduce the concept of respect, for it has dwindled greatly since 1914. If we cannot learn from them, we are doomed to a world of yet more pain and suffering, where parents bury their young, and are marked by grief for the rest of their lives. Those who survived are less in number every year, and soon there will be a time where we no longer have them amongst us, and so we should act now and tell those in charge that enough is enough, take the money of war and build a better land, where those fallen hero’s see the dreams and hopes they carried with their rifles into war are cherished and brought to fruition.

They came from a time where life had value, we need to turn back the clock and remember theirs, and hand back the value it held for them, for they gave it freely and it meant something.

And with the going down of the sun, we must remember them.

The Cemetery of the lost in France.

The Cemetery of the lost in France.

 

 

Provoking Thought.

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When I first began to seriously write Heirs to the Kingdom, I thought I would take the story that I had built up in my mind over what had been a long period of time and get it down on paper without really thinking about the words I was committing to the file. I know that sounds a little odd for someone writing a book, but at the time I was just doing an exercise to see if I could actually achieve it. There wasn’t any thought of publishing, or even having to talk to other readers of a finished work, it was simply me alone with my thoughts and feelings, letting everything I had kept deep inside me flow into my fingertips. It is still like that today, I cannot allow the thoughts of what others may think to even enter my mind, it has to be plain and simply that deep inner voice guiding my words, and although most of the people reading my work do not see it, it is probably some of the most deeply held parts of myself that come to the surface.

Sometimes a bike ride can help reduce carbon, so each trip you make will help in a small way

Sometimes a bike ride can help reduce carbon, so each trip you make will help in a small way

Personally it can be quite a surprising experience, as things I never actually intend to share come out in the words I put down, of which I would say the most obvious has been the power that is contained in my love for the plant world and the whole of the planet on which we live. Shortly after writing the first two thirds of the Bowman of Loxley, I let a few very close friends read what I had done, and then waited with baited breath for their comments, it was to say the least quite a nervous point in time. I suppose having been surprised myself at what had come out on the paper my insecurity did increase a little, because I had made some bold statements about how we all live within this world, and pointed out a great deal of my private disillusion with the world.

One of my market trading friends Pru was actually the very first person to read HTTK, and she surprised me a great deal when she informed me that it was indeed very thought provoking, and she had thought a great deal about what was written for quite some time after reading it, and that became a bit of theme, as I allowed others to read the first drafts of the first book. I have never forgotten that time, and even though I still do not allow the opinion of others to cloud my writing of the books, I have begun to open up and share a lot of what I feel passionately about in my Blog posts.

The blogs are for me, another way of expressing my thoughts in a none story environment, it’s a place when I can be a little more direct about my point of view, yet remain within the confines of the HTTK themes. I have found that there are quite a few readers who have not read the books, who still read the blog posts, and as a writer it’s another wonderful way of allowing all the thoughts tumbling through my mind to tumble out for another audience.

The story of HTTK is very much the representation of my struggle through life with various issues, especially that of a green campaigner and supporter. I do see the world as two separate sides in these days, and to be honest at the moment I think the side of stone builders is winning. I see a lot of the ways of Mason Knox in the world today, especially in our Governments across the world as they are seduced and corrupted by big large multinational corporations, I think if Mason was indeed a real living person in today’s world he and his evil mother would very much be the people behind the scenes pushing government’s into raping all of the natural resources of the planet on a road that can only lead to the eventual destruction of everything.

I am and always will be a member of the Woodland Realm, like young Robbie in my own early teens I sought to fight those of power to change the world, and even today I still try to educate people in a way that opens them up to what is really going on globally. I have been ridiculed for a great many years for being the Hippie type campaigning for trees and life, and to be honest what felt like insults in my youth, I wear today as my badge of honour. I have campaigned for petitions and protested and even at times employed a few Specialist tactics under cover of darkness to strike one for the green cause, although these days I am getting a little too long in the tooth for covert activity, and my mind has turned to thinking about other solutions.

Writing is certainly one of them, it’s a little warmer sat at the computer than walking the cold streets handing out leaflets, and I also look at today and the way the world has changed so much since my youth, and ponder as to whether there is a better way for all of us to live together in a more balanced way.

In the UK this week, we have been told that over the coming years we will see our bills rise to an unprecedented level because as our natural gas supply runs out, and old coal power stations are taken offline, we will need to import more gas from the continent. It’s a reality that in a world where those like the Knox family, have corrupted every system, and brought the global economic climate crashing down to the benefit of themselves. Once again the poor of this country and countless others, will be forced into the hardship of bearing the costs, and the costs are not just financial, they are also a cost to the world we live in, a cost that will punish our future generations.

The biggest argument I face is that in this world of technology, people will not support an environmental point of view, because even though they are not calling the government’s into question over their lack of effort on the environment, they have embraced all the new technology so much that to take an environmental road will deprive them of the little joy they have in life these days. When you look at the wide range of products we have available to us, it is a valid point, let’s face it communication and labour saving devices have never been so good, and our lives have been transformed by all of them, but surely there has to be a way forward for all of us to do our bit.

It can appear like a double edge sword, either we change drastically and give up everything, or we continue on the road towards destruction, but really do the choices need to be so stark?

I think not. Why is so impossible to see that the environment and technology can walk hand in hand. In my books I take the best from the old

We can make a choice that uses the best technology to balance our lives, with very little change to the wat we all live

We can make a choice that uses the best technology to balance our lives, with very little change to the way we all live

world and add it to the natural world, in a way that benefits people and yet has little impact on the world, why is so hard for the UK and other countries to follow the same lead? Oil does not have to be the future of everything and neither does Gas powered, I am very anti-nuclear, simply because it’s just too expensive and as we have seen in Japan, it’s not quite as safe as we thought it was. Britain is considering fracking as a gas alternative, but that is actually banned in many European countries because it has been proven to be far more harmful to the water table than our Government are admitting. We have already had one large scale earthquake caused across Yorkshire and Lancashire because of the early drilling; do we really want to destroy and poison the North West of England?

We need jobs to get the economy growing again and take the pressure off the benefits system, as well as move away from the old fossil fuels, so why are we not looking towards Germany for inspiration? Literally on our doorstep, we have so many solutions that are good for everyone that it must provide a way that leads to jobs and cheaper fuels for all. In Germany they invest heavily in green technology, not only do they encourage solar power plates on homes, they have solar farms, which they combine with wind power to create a substantial amount of clean green energy. Ok the costs for setting it up have been high, but let’s be honest, it has to be better to pay UK citizens a good wage and build and install these systems rather than just paying our money to an Eastern European country for extra gas. Wind power across the globe rose by 20% in 2012, Ok so there are a great deal who hate the sight of windmills; personally I think they look a lot better than the gaping holes we create for strip mining, or the sight of large Fracking drills. I love windmills I have to confess, I want a small one on my house, I will probably paint it to look better than just plain white, but yes as soon I can afford it, I will get one simply because it will drop my household bills over time, which means I can invest in more fun tech for me and the kids.

The environment and technology can work as partners, and benefit all of us, but it takes a slight change of thought before we can implement it. Governments can change their view when they see that votes will not go their way, and it is up to all of us to finally make that stand and point them in the right direction. The future of this planet can only come with the will of the people, and it is up to everyone to share the information that will eventually force governments to change their mind. We have to abandon our complacency and apathy towards the way we choose to vote. It can be done as we have seen with the banking industry recently; as it was the public’s opinions that forced the government to make changes that are finally bringing them into line, and caused some very high profile job dismissals.

You make not like the way they look, but its a hell of lot nicer than drilling platforms of a devastated landscape

You make not like the way they look, but its a hell of lot nicer than drilling platforms of a devastated landscape

Just imagine this small point. This country has a huge amount of public buildings, what if we all made it clear that the government should fit solar panels to every one of them.  Have you any idea how many jobs that would create in fitting and manufacturing them? Do you know how much pressure that would take off our old and rapidly decaying oil and gas burning power stations? New technology can be environmental, and a shift such as this would not change the life of anyone, but it would do a massive amount towards reducing carbon emissions in this country, let alone globally. There is a very important lesson to be learned from some of HTTK, and it shows that we can share the best of every world and create a sustainable future for our children and our grandchildren’s generation, it just takes a few moments to think about it, and then voice your opinion, which funnily enough was what the hippies were saying forty years ago, It kinds makes you wonder why we didn’t listen?

There is always another way forward if you take the time to think about it, and then get out of your seat and do something about it. If you look hard enough there are so many other ways to improve our lives and the planet we all share, and whether you believe it or not, it does not belong to those like Mason Knox, it actually belongs to all of us, its home to seven billion people.

 

HTTK RJM BLOG

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HELLO WORLD

Welcome to my small slice of the Word-press world. It is my hope that across these pages cast out onto the web, you will feel inclined to visit once in a while and see how the world of HTTK, and of course myself are getting on.

I am new to the writing world, yet have spent a good while wandering around the publishing world as I try to understand everything. My first book is out although I would assume most people are not aware of it yet, and it is my new challenge in life to promote it and get enough attention to at least cover the costs. I am sure there are pit falls I have not seen coming, but that should hopefully provide me with good material to make the site informative as I go, and hey, you never know you may want to be a more frequent visitor.

I hope you enjoy looking around, and when you are done, why not check out the website on www.heirstothekingdom.com