Festive Frolics

Following on the heels of Han’s Cottage, which was yet another very different kind of story, I am about to release yet another instalment of the Curio Chronicles. This book is to be released at this time for two reasons, the first being, with three out in 2022, it gives me a little space and time to continue writing some of the other stories I have on the go.

The second and probably the principal reason for putting the third book out now, is that the third story in the life of Abigail Watson, is set at Christmas time. It is indeed a festive themed story, and what better way to enjoy this book, than to read it over the actually season it is set in.

Just to look back a little, all of this series of stories was written back in the year of 2020, during what was lockdowns due to the virus. The whole series was written between October 2020, and April 2021, so as the lockdowns ended, I moved onto other things, such as my business and more writing. I actually wrote this third part of the story during the Christmas period, which was a little bit of a bleak time, as the world was in crisis and things looked bleak for all of us, and yet within the joy we created at home as a family, I dug deep into myself, and threaded Abigail’s story around the festive period.

Full wrap of Curio's Christmas by Robin John Morgan
Curio’s Christmas By Robin John Morgan

Abby has moved on a little, in this book she is two years older, and has spent two years living in the house on Waterside Lane with the rest of her Curio friends. She is working hard at writing, and feeling more settled than ever before, apart from the village, which does not change, she is growing up a little, as are her friends.  Just to give you a little insight to what is to come, normally Birch would be home with her parents, Anthony whose father rejects him, is normally with Delphine, and Chloe and Edwina are at home with their parents. Abby takes it in turn each Christmas to spend time with her parents, and also visit Roni and Will up north, and Deb’s, is married to Jimmy and lives in their complex on Bradley’s estate. They have never actually been all together on Christmas Day, so when Bradley invites Roni and Will to join them in the Bahamas, and Jimmy is away on a tour of Asia, suddenly, Deb’s and Birch, find they are alone at home for Christmas, which also means so is Abigail, as she is partnered up with Birch. Plans are made, and a full Curio Christmas is on the cards, and hence, the fun starts.

Christmas is a complicated season, it is seen by most as a season of joy and happiness, but to many, it is a sad time, a time of loneliness, and most importantly, it is a time of giving, which when you add all of that up, and throw in some tinsel and baubles, you have the making of a good story. Curio’s Christmas is exactly that, a good story.

Growing up, people slowly change, and as you start to read, you will notice that there is a more grown up side to Abby and Birch. They are settled and together, and even though there is a lot of messing around and joking, their more serious sides appear, as I get to again open up their characteristics and show more of the people they are becoming. In the last chapter of Abigail’s Summer, Abby reflects on Roni’s speech, and especially the line of, “who you were, who you are now, and who you will become, are all different people,” and that really is the golden rule of writing this series, as I document the process of change, and move the characters from immaturity, towards maturity.

In book three of the series, Abigail is 26 years old, and seven years on from the first book, and there is a more settled air to her, although she still can freak out and fall apart at the drop of a hat. She is a little braver, and more world wise, and has reached that point of understanding from her conversations with Birch, where she understands her life and past history so much better than ever before. Living with Birch and her crazy antics at times, Abby has focused more on her writing and is improving every day, and has published Seeds of Summer, which she began to write at the start of book two. Seeds of Summer like Birch predicted, has become a hit book, and due to that she has become a more confident writer, which in turn has shone a light on her vampire stories. She has also finished and recently published Sanctuary Arch, the third in her gothic vampire series, ‘The hand of death.’ She has a lot of time at home alone, as Birch and others all work, apart from Chloe who lives in her studio painting, and in a way has inspired Abby to focus more on her own creative work of writing, and she has grown to love her life, and is now a prolific writer, and is seeing the first rewards of her labours.

Never forget where she lives, and yes, even though she is no longer on the Parish Council, Marjorie is still a dominant force in the village. Gossip has a habit of growing and spreading, and in this book, I aim to highlight this with a slightly different direction for the Curio’s. Like the ripples of a pool, the rings move ever outward, and as Abby starts to see some recognition for her writing, she becomes a victim of the press, fuelled by the rumours started by Madge. Curio’s Christmas has a lot of twists and turns and a little suspense, as the group tackle the ever growing world head on, with some fraught moments of worry, and a lot of good humour.

I feel this is a fuller story, with a deeper context, and again it reflects a lot of what I have seen and heard in my many conversations with others over the years. I have watched this journey with many younger people over time, and it felt good to work it into the dynamic of the group. The Curio’s are closer, and as a result more open and honest with each other, and yes at times, they even fray each others nerves. I feel it is a good reflection of true friendship, and that means not everything is coming up roses, and they can fall out and irritate each other at times.

Front Cover of Curio's Christmas by Robin John Morgan
Curio’s Christmas Front Cover

I have said several times in my blogs, how easy it can be to be distracted by some of the more graphic aspects of the story, which is indeed at times a good distraction I have created based on truth, but never the less a distraction all the same. This book is less graphic, book two filled with vibrant 24 years olds was always going to be the wildest book, but that is done and behind me, and so now I can really focus on some major aspects of Abigail’s journey through life. I have always stated that those who stick with this series will discover a very wonderful and beautiful story, and I still say that, and in this book, you will truly start to see that, especially in regard to the bond of the Curio’s, and within the relationship of Birch and Abby.

This story has far more impact than the others, as it looks deeper into family loyalties, friendships, and the deep bond of real love, it also has its surprises, as a more human quality starts to shine out from some of the characters. This story has a lot of empathy and compassion within it, and it also brings in some new characters in so much as friends of the Curio’s appear in a time of great need, it really is a fast paced story with some heartfelt moments, and a lot of the usual twisted Curio humour filled with inuendo, and Bell Twats, even a sound proof house cannot keep them completely out.

The festive theme really works well, even if Birch does have some strange ideas about the origins of Christmas, which I will add here, are actually based on true stories told even in this day and age, although at first you will not completely think they are. There is some more Bev, (Guard your vagina) how could I not include her, she is so lovely, and I feel has earned her place in Curio history? Below is the back sleeve blurb.

Christmas is coming, and normally, all the Curio’s are spread out, but this year, Roni and Will have decided to head to the Bahamas with Bradley and Ellen, Jimmy is on tour, and Edwin is unhappy with Abigail, so they are stuck at home. There is no other option, and it’s decided, it is time for a full on Curio Christmas, which means, Shopping.

Birch has no understanding of Christmas, because it belongs to the bell twats, and so Abby is determined to make it the best Christmas ever… Let the madness begin. Pooling their resources, they decorate the house, buy a tree and prepare to party, that is, until the press start with their attacks, and imply, someone inside the house has been sharing their secrets.

As Abby fights to pull off the perfect Christmas, problem after problem occurs, building up to a final collision of chaos that leaves the whole village reeling in the aftermath of splintered loyalties.

Creating a fast and exciting series of events that leave the reader gasping, Robin John Morgan raises the stakes again, in what is a brilliantly fast paced, witty, and emotional third tale of the Curio’s journey through life on Waterside Lane in Wotton Dursley.

The book is due to hit the shelves on October 24th, which gives me time to deal with all the usual problems with the world’s most dominant bully and retailer of books, and so the book should be out in lots of time for Christmas, I do hope you will add it to your wish list, and if you do, I thank you deeply. Curio’s Christmas, part three of the Curio Chronicles, will be here with all their usual crazy, to hopefully enhance your own festive season, and with that, I will leave you for now, to get promoting.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years, as it allows me to keep writing, and at my age, that is far better than working outdoors over Winter as I used to.

Curio’s  Christmas, The Curio Chronicles part three, by Robin John Morgan, will be available and digital format from October 24th 2022. All his work is available in both formats from all online retailers of good books.

The Thin Places

We live in a world, that has been built on the foundations of Christianity. The bible is the corner stone of what we call western civilisation, and it has over many hundreds of years, influenced politics, law, and education. The whole fabric of the society we now live in, is based on Christian values, and in the last two hundred years, that has been propped up by science. I find it fascinating that if something is not supported by the church, or backed up with proven science, it is disapproved of, ridiculed and made fun of as superstition. I suppose superstitions all have their origins, and would more than likely be based in some fact, be it a small one. I have come to the understanding, that those who are unsure, or uncertain, dismiss what they do not understand, which is certainly the point of view of the establishment. Yet, to the surprise of many, there are a great deal of people who believe in what the modern world dismisses as nothing more than mere superstition.

All of my life I have encountered things which did not make sense to me, and so I questioned them. I have had a few long conversations within my past with local vicars, who to a degree did not appear happy with the questions I asked them. As a young boy I once asked a vicar how do you know, can I see the proof? To a degree his response was what science and modern society do today, I was asked to leave, rather than be spoken to in a way that would help me understand, I was bluntly told, that it was true and I should not question the power of the almighty. I suppose thinking back to my 12 years old self, I am still curious, and given the chance, I would probably ask the same question, even at my age now of 58, although through that experience, I have learned in my life to not bend to dogma and blind belief.

One area of life I became very involved with in my late teens to early thirties, was what I refer to as the faith of the Earth, more commonly acquainted to, as Pagan. In many ways over time, my spiritual beliefs have merged with spirituality, science, nature and my love of history, especially Celt tradition. Looking back at that time in my life, and knowing the pyramids and Stonehenge were both older than Christianity, it was clear to me that before the Romans came to our shores with word of the Christian god, there was a belief in something else, and I was curious as to what.

Since that time, my curiosity has led me to many books, lectures, museums and visits to sacred sites, and always with the burning desire to learn more about our time before the days of the crucifix. I am not knocking Christianity, I have no issue with any person’s personal beliefs, I will defend anyone’s right to hold a spiritual belief, as I know it gives them hope for something beyond the veil we know as death. I hope they are right; I hope they get what they are looking for and bask in the paradise of their belief, we all need to hold something close to our hearts. For me personally, and coupled with my love and adoration of the natural world, I have pondered for a great many years those natural feelings we get, when placed in certain situations.

It is reported that long ago we had many other senses, call them survival skills, or even fight or flight responses, my point being, that within us is a natural sense of something other than our normal modern sense of self, especially when we feel, we are in a sacred space. I adore churches and cathedrals, not because they are places of worship devoted to a Christian god, it is more a feeling of peace, a feeling of safety and reassurance that I get when I walk within them. There is something quite wonderful about sitting quietly in an empty country church, which is something I have done a great deal in my life. I love stained glass windows, the gothic architecture, and the smell of the old polished pews. I am not remotely Christian, and yet I find them places of comfort, a shelter from the storms and chaos of modern life, where I can sit quietly alone, and reflect on the world around me. It is something I wrote into my character of Abigail, in my book Abigail’s Summer.

I get the same sense sat in stone circles, or in sacred glades and places devoted to pagan belief. I absolutely believe in the power of a woodland to ease the soul and calm the spirit, I have felt the power of other forces sat beside a quiet river or stream, and visited places of great lakes that are deemed to be sacred, such as Bala in north Wales. I understand how in Japan, a doctor will write you a prescription for ‘Forest Bathing,’ as a means of helping relieve the life of a stressed out person, something I agree with, and have done many times alone in my youth as I dealt with harsh issues. According to Christianity and science, it is not the place, it is my inner dialogue, and yet when I encountered the sacred tree at Glastonbury in my youth, and saw all the ribbons and silks that had been tied on it, I had to question, if science and Christianity are right, why do so many other people seek out these places, and feel as I do, in their presence?

I once knew a Druid who spoke of the ‘Thin Places’ These were areas when he believed that the veil between worlds was thinner than others, and where a connection could be achieved that went beyond this world and into the next. These places are normally remote, hidden and filled with the abundant natural life of our green world. It is not unsimilar to the traditional pagan belief that on Samhain, the veil across the whole world thins, so we can commune with, and feel close to our lost ones for a short space of time. It is a belief that goes back thousands of years, and one adopted by the Romans, when they founded their belief in Christianity, so much so, that Halloween/Samhain, is referred to in their faith as ‘All hallows Eve’ a time to be close to those who have passed on, as we remember them.

Is there something to this belief in ‘Thin Places’? Science says not, it calls them superstition, and yet today, especially with the rise of Wicca, more and more people believe in these places, and the one sacred day where we can connect with those who came before us. Is science wrong, do we all have some lost gift of the past where we sensed more than we can today? It is something I cannot answer, and yet even Christianity included a version of it within their faith. What I can say is this.

I have stood at Stonehenge at dawn on the solstice, I walked around the stones at midsummer, and I have sat at Callanish and felt my surroundings, and I intend to again before I die. I personally felt a sense I have not felt in any church, or on a high street, or within my home for that matter, was it spiritual? For me, it was, would others perceive it that way? Of that I cannot answer, I can only speak for myself, and to say it had a profound effect on me. I have talked to many over the years about it, and the power of the land I felt rise up within me, was it simply the power of those stones, and the achievement of those who toiled to build them? It could be, but I do not think so. In many ways it is like that feeling you get in a crowd that someone is watching you, and so you look, and they are. We have no way of knowing why we felt that way, we just did, and it was proven to be a correct feeling, almost like it was yet another aspect of our hidden senses.

Have we lost something from our ancestors, something tied to life and death that helped them survive, and through which we have thrived as a race? Possibly, science says it is not possible, and yet I have felt it, and have no idea as to why, but I have experienced it. In many ways, these and other questions have slipped into the stories I write. In Heirs to the Kingdom, Sapphire feels the power of the stones at Callanish, so much so she makes it her home. Even Runestone remarks on the power that the land holds, and Gwendolyn uses the energy of the land around Carnac, to aid her abilities when making the swords of power. Opal sits in a sacred glade, set with a large stone table below her feet and turf, surrounded by a wide circle of trees of protection. In many ways, it is a temple built from the life of the natural world, almost a ring of life to protect her from death.

The Mabinogion which is the folklore of the Celts talks of many places that are sacred, such as rivers, lakes, and mountains, and it appears to me, that there has been a long held belief in some form of life after death, that predates Christianity, and I ponder as to if this was also where the Christian belief got it from, did they use it as it ran parallel to paganism? Like many of their festivals, is religion really a simplified rewriting of older tales, and do we all believe in the same thing but name it differently? I feel it is plausible, and is probably the one thing we all have in common, that need to explain the unknown.

Modern society hides from death, in many ways it feels like it is a subject that is hidden from sight, and one not easily spoken about. When a person dies, they are taken away by strangers and the body is taken care of in what is a relatively unknown process. In ages long gone, that was a task usually undertaken by the close families, but that is no longer a western practice. After that, in most cases all we see is a casket, be it wooden or basket, the person we know and recognise is gone never to be seen again, it feels almost like we must hide the dead and not talk about it. During the dark ages, we built stone enclosures to house the dead. In many ways I find it odd, that buildings of stone were built for those who died, whilst the living had not started to build their dwellings of stone. Bodies were placed on view, these enclosures of stone were not sealed, village and family members could enter to view the remains and say their farewells, or praise them for the achievements of their life, and promise to stay close to them in the thin places.

In the early times of man, and as reintroduced by florists during the era of Victoria, Violet became the symbol of loss, passing, and to the Celt, rebirth. The Celts believed in the circle of life, as reinforced by the circle of growing crops, every year the crops would rise again to feed them, and their spiritual beliefs followed the same model. We are born, we grow, we die, and are born again, it is no different for the Christian church. It appears as we have built up our society through Christian belief, in many ways we have stopped asking about the after life, because we have been instructed not to, and told that it will all be taken care of under the watchful eyes of our God. The Celts believed something different, they trusted in other realms, where the spirit that had departed the body, walked intact, again this is something I have stitched into the fabric of my series of books Heirs to the Kingdom. Other realms where we walk in the thin places, could these be the instances where people talk of Ghosts? Science says that is not true, but again, I ask the question, how do you know?

Does it really matter if you say soul, spirit or energy? If you think about it, all of us are saying similar things, it is actually the one thing we all have in common. Whether we realise or not, we all believe in the thin places, where we can communicate in feelings or spirit to those we love and have lost, after all, isn’t that what prayers are for? We talk to a person/spirit, who resides in the realm that our loved one have passed onto.

In the book Han’s Cottage, I write of a temple that is inhabited by the Nairn. It is an ancient place, something that was there long before they were, a place no one knows who built it. It is a series of stones circles with altars, a stone obelisk and a large stone table. The imagery for the story I based on Ilam in Yorkshire, a place known as the Druids Temple, although in truth, it was built in 1820 as a folly for an eccentric lord, who paid a Druid to live there as a hermit. It has a strange history and some strange tales, rituals have been carried out there, some by pagans, and there is even rumour of satanic rituals in the past. The stones used are ancient, you can tell by the lichens that grow on them, as Emily points out when she visits the Nairn temple in Han’s Cottage. People who have visited there, talk of a powerful feeling in the air, almost as if they are being watched, I pose the question, are these people feeling one of these thin places?

There is no science that would back up the theory of ‘Thin Places’ and yet millions believe in them. There are sacred sites all over the world where people visit on a regular basis, and leave offerings, or place rocks to show they have visited. There are quite few trees that have ribbons adored to them by the hundreds, all placed by people who believed there was more, something other worldly, another realm or a heaven like place. This is not new stuff, it has been around for thousands of years, and the belief in these places is as strong now as it has always been, and yet there is no rationale theory to prove their belief is real, just like the vicar who asked me to leave, he too struggled to give me something tangible to strengthen his case.

Recently I sat and watched the impressive pageantry that surrounded the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. There is no denying it was a spectacle of impressive tribute to the queen, but as I watched, something else occurred to me. I was fascinated as I watched the procession from Balmoral, then London and the lying in state, and finally the actual funeral, because what caught my attention the most, was the people. We hide death, it is an unspoken subject, usually rebuked with dismissive remarks, such as ‘Time heals all wounds.’ It is almost as if we fear it as a society, and do not want to be exposed to it, just in case it is catching. The Queens funeral saw an outpouring of grief, and it felt almost as if people felt a need to travel such distance to be close to the coffin, almost as if they were confronting death for the first time in their lives. They all walked silently past her coffin as she lay in state, almost with child like fascination, and I have to ask, did they have questions like I did that they wanted answering, which science to date has refused to show us the answers?

In Han’s Cottage, I have looked at all of this, and placed a staunch believer with a sceptic who believes in science, and I have pitted their beliefs against each other, and then presented them both with an explanation of what an afterlife could be. Shelly refers to it as energy and backs it up with the theories of physics to make it more palatable by Emily who is a scientist, but the truth be told, neither of them is prepared for what they discover, and that in a way is my point.

I do not fear death, and I honestly believe that neither should society, and yet it feels to me like as a collective we hide it and avoid it. I know a few people who will fall apart at the mere mention of it, and that has always fascinated me, because if I am honest, it is the one thing we can all do equally. There is no immortality, it is good for fantasy novels, but ultimately all of us will reach our end and pass on to something else, of which we do not know what. I feel it is that fear of the unknown that frightens people, maybe that too is a sense from our past. When we walk in a strange land, we are nervous because we do not know the terrain, so why not be equally as nervous in a different state or realm?

I truly believe that those who fear death, stop living, because they become so preoccupied with that final moment, they tie up their time in worry and negativity, and without realising, they lose their joy of life, which to me, is a precious and glorious gift, and one that should be embraced and sampled. It is not something we should so freely throw away as we become eaten up and disjointed over a problem we cannot solve, because no matter how you live, ultimately, we will all share the same fate.

We all believe in something, and it is that belief that gives us comfort, as to who is right and who is wrong, I think that is a pointless conversation, because ultimately, we will take our own private and personal belief with us.

Maybe that is a good thing, because then we will finally do have an answer, that will leave those we leave behind us with their own beliefs, which will give them comfort to guide them in their loss, and remembrance of us.

Han’s Cottage, has taken quite some time to write, and it is a mixture of theories and fantasy, but it does ask questions and pose answers which are open to the interpretation of the reader. It is a wonderful story if you simply want to escape, or a trail of possibilities for you to follow with your own beliefs. For me, it is my tribute to a remarkable person, who I had many conversations with about these very subjects, and like her, the story has a wonderful heart, and I hope you would feel you would like to read it.

As with all the books I write, if you enjoy it, do not be quiet about it. Authors needs talkers, so tell people, share your enjoyment, and look me up on social media and like, share, and comment on the posts I put up, so I can let others know if my books are enjoyed and loved. My thanks as always to those who support my writing, by reading, it is so deeply appreciated.

Heirs to the Kingdom, The Curio Chronicles, Rise of the Raven and Han’s Cottage by Robin John Morgan, are all available in print and digital formats, from all online book suppliers for purchase or download.

The Footsteps of the Ancient King.

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.

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.

Writing Timeless

It is rather odd, as I sit here during the summer solstice of the year 2022, and I remember a time, many years ago, gathered with my Druid friends, at Stonehenge, on this same solstice day, watching the sun.

It is funny, remembering the times and the long talks with those around me, about being a natural human being, and living life, connected to the world around us, and honouring it. I was so young and filled with wild and creative ideas, and yet here I sit on a muggy humid day, and I feel no different. I have aged, I have wisdom (Allegedly) and the silver is running in threads through my hair, and yet time feels stood still, nothing has changed and everything has changed, it is a fun and strange place to be in life.

There is a quality to my thoughts and thinking process that feels timeless, I still believe in freedom, and living as natural a life as is possible in this modern cyber-tech world, and I am still captivated by those stories that never appear to age. If anything, as you read them, they appear to be relevant, even if they were written one hundred years ago. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells still appears as relevant now as it always has to me, it is a quality I have always admired in a good book, and in many ways, is something I have tried to emulate in my own stories.

HTTK the series

Does the reader know which age HTTK is set in, or the year Abigail goes to university, and meets her roommate Birch for the first time? I hope they don’t, it is something I have tried to erase to keep the atmosphere and feelings of my work present, so the reader always feels they are in the moment.

The strange thing is, I actually use real calendars when I write, so that all my days of the week and special events are perfectly timed through my stories. The story of HTTK, actually starts on January first, 2038, and travels through the eight books, to finally end in mid August of the year 2039. The whole eight books last for a time period of one year and seven months, as this story was set in the future, but did it feel that way?

No… Not really, and that is because I took a group living in the future, threw in a whole host of modern day items, mixed up with items from yesteryear, and played one thing off against the other. As the result, it created a story that appeared so real, the reader no longer knew what actual age they were in. I, as always, lobbed in a few things to create that sense of time that had past, so that the reader in the present day would identify with them, and forget this was a futuristic story. A good example, would be. “Cool bangle.”

Jade utters these words as she picks up a very everyday object, such as a roll of cellophane tape, it is something we all know, yet to her it is a strange item, and one she mistakes as an item of jewellery, which is one of home occupations. Another good example from book one would be when Jade leans over a reading guard, to discover he is reading a Harry Potter novel. Before killing the guard, she whispers her approval to herself, regarding the novel as “A classic.”

That one line takes the story into the future, a future where the work of JK is an established classic of literature, which I do believe one day it will be regarded as such, once enough time has passed. The comment puts Jade in the future, it is a gentle reminder of what kind of story you are reading. Uncle Walter died hunting elephants, as Robbie explains, as he describes the barbed arrowhead, he has got the smithy to make for him. Hunting elephants in Britain, since when you ask? It is in that moment you realise, the world was destroyed and left to ruin, and obviously elephants escaped from the zoo, to find freedom roaming in the British countryside, of which Uncle Walter was a specialist at hunting them down.

The world came to an end in 2012, and this is 2038, which is 26 years later, and a great deal has changed. The readoption of the words lord and lady again, shift the clock. Titles revised from age past, and the story starts to feel like it is more a medieval story, with talk of King Arthur and Robin Hood, until of course you realise, Blades is sat on a roof fixing a wind turbine to generate power, aided by young Eric, and Harry thinks his vibes ain’t cool, because he thinks Eric is after bedding his daughter.

One era crashes with another, and the ancient walk side by side with the modern, and the reader no longer has any idea which era they are in, they are too engrossed in the story to care, and it all seems to sit happily side by side and no one notices the story has become a timeless work. Is it modern, medieval, or futuristic, who knows, it just fits? Actually, it takes a massive amount of thought and careful writing to create such a smooth flowing story, that washes away the time period, and lulls you into the words?

I do feel setting a book in a specific era can be a great thing, period dramas especially fit. My wife has a passion for Pride and Prejudice, a real classic period novel, but I also feel it can be limiting. Does anyone really know when Rise of the Raven was set? I cannot deny, for this one I used sleight of hand. It is clearly pre-Roman invasion of the British Isles, but apart from that, what else can provide a clue?

Rise of the Raven by Robin John Morgan
Robin John Morgan’s Rise of the Raven

I will not deny, there is a little deviousness involved in this one. The Fae are far more advanced at this time than the realm of men, we see this in the day to day living of Branna and Ariel, who at this time are using charcoals and quills to write on parchment, something the world of men has not yet come to adopt in day to day life. Most of the realm of men cannot read, so why would they write, their life is hunting and toil in the fields. When Branna makes her escape, her first encounter is a hunter who trades furs for gold and silver coins, he is considered a very rich and wealthy man by Roack, who realises his possessions will enhance the status of Branna.

Later in the settlement at Tintagel, she enters a long house, of wood, with dirty floors and a fire pit in the centre, it is a very different way of living compared to her small brick house in Avalon. There are no separate rooms, just one large one, and they all sleep on the floor, where as Ariel and Branna sleep together in a bed in Avalon.

Bouncing the two completely different life styles, plays a trick on the mind, and suddenly the era and dates disappear, and all that matters is the story. To add more weight Berengar walks out on his father, passing through a door, that has a heavy cloth to cover it. The house is of wooden construction, and yet they hang heavy materials to create their doorways, all of this distorts the time frame, and draws the reader closer to the details of the characters and their dialogue.

It is sleight of hand, and deliberate, as I want these stories to flow in such a seamless fashion, the reader becomes more and more engrossed. What year is Abigail’s Summer set in, does anyone know or really care?

Abigail’s Summer, the Curio Chronicles Book One.

It is a modern novel set for this age, and yet the years over the series pass by. In book one Abigail is nineteen, in book two she is twenty four, and by book five, she is twenty nine, and each book feels like it is being read as something set in this moment, this year, possibly this day. There is only one person alive at this point who knows the year, and that is me, because once again, I set the story to a real calendar, so that the bank holidays and dates line up perfectly to each day mentioned. On the calendar, Curio’s Summer is set exactly five years later, and yet, the date appears to be irrelevant, you are reading it now, and it feels like now, because the themes of the story fit perfectly with today, or tomorrow, or to that fact, the day after, and the day after that. No year appears to fit, and yet the story like Kingdom feels like it is happening now.

The Curio Chronicles have lots of clues as to this modern age time, but what year? Well it was all written in 2020-1, but was it relevant for that year? Well no not really, we know this because there is no virus in the story. I deliberately did not make any mention to the lockdowns or the virus, simply so in five years time, the books will still feel they were written for that time. There is social media, and Insta, and Abby swipes open her phone, so it does fit now, but there again, it also fits six years ago, and will probably fit in another six years.

Curio's Summer, Robin John Morgan
Curio’s Summer, The Curio Chronicles, Book Two

I use the phrase, “Gossip travels faster than email.” So, it is a current book, and just to throw the reader off, in the last book of the series, (Not published yet) I add, “Gossip travels faster than messaging.” It shows the advance of technology, and keeps the books fresh. Birch is a naturist, and lives naked, which fits nicely with the 1980’s and 90’s, but does it fit today? Actually, with over fifty million naturists in Europe in 2021, and those are just ones we know about, Birch is a hell of a lot more current and up to date than most people realise.

At the start of the next book. (Book three whilst writing this) there is a reference to the World Naked Bike Ride, an event that has been running globally since 2007, and once again the story is modern, but how modern, and that all plays into the comfort of the reader who imagines the things happening in the book are going on right now? It is a deliberate ploy to make the reader place the characters in a modern time frame in their minds. The reader can create a picture of Abby, based on their own knowledge of what a quaint country village looks like today, or next year, and that brings Abby to life, and makes her very real to the reader, and as a result, the reader can identify better with her.

One of the best aspects of writing stories that appear timeless is the characters, it is clear from HTTK, that Hearne, Opal and Morgan le Fey are ancient, but the one character I especially enjoyed writing was Ariel. We see her in Rise of the Raven, where she is just under 200 years old, and yet appears young and vibrant, like a mid twenties modern woman would be. In kingdom eight, which is set many hundreds of years later, she is lifted from her box, where she has slept for ten lifetimes, and is revived by Runestone, she truly is timeless as she has not aged a day in her magical period of sleep. In two more books I am writing related to kingdom, Ariel will be featured, one set ten years after Rise of the Raven, and another one set eighteen years after the end of Heirs to the Kingdom.

It is a concept I wanted to play with more, and Kingdom is the perfect vehicle for it, and through Ariel within these stories, the passage of time becomes important to who she is, as she reflects back on her life which has spanned the ages. It is similar to Una and her sisters, who were imprisoned and then awoken, and had to adapt to a completely different world. I wanted to elaborate more on this in Kingdom, which I did in book five, where she talks about meeting King Arthur. I wanted more, but was defeated by the page count, and so through Ariel, I have the chance to express it more through her life. She truly is a timeless character who can look back on the world of men at its start, and has moved through the ages to live in the future.

For myself, it is all a big part of the joy of writing, and I hope for the reader, it makes the story more intense, and real. I want the readers to be focused and present in the moment, and so engrossed the story swallows them up, so they bask in the pleasure of immersive reading. Has this been achieved yet? As the reader of this blog, and I assume my books, only you would know. It is always a joy to get feedback on the books and how the reader perceives them, and all the comments and messages I get, I read with a thrill, knowing in part I have achieved my goal, it is also another great joy of writing for all of you.

I want seamless and timeless stories, and I am always looking to make the effect deeper and better for each new reader, and so, with that in mind, I will to look to the past, and note the improved efforts, and then, I shall continue my quest, and try my best to write timeless.

Robin John Morgan is a writer and blogger, who has published the fantasy magical adventure series Heirs to the Kingdom, and the modern sexual and body positive series The Curio Chronicles, he has also written Rise of the Raven, a dark fantasy, of political intrigue, love, loss and betrayal. He blogs his thoughts and opinions on ‘Robin’s Space,’ here on HTTK about his writing life, and also blogs as a guest for other sites, which includes a naturist world.

All his books are available world wide in digital and print formats.

Why Read… Why Write?

Why do people write, or read for that matter, what is the point in wasting your time, when you could be working making real money?

That has been said to me many times, and I feel that those people miss the point.

In 1994 I took a five day holiday, I was exhausted, but I worked for a company where the boss had told me a good few times. “Your job will always be safe with us; we will never let you go.”

At that time, I really needed to hear that, oh, no one really has any idea how much that meant to me. I had worked hard long hours for that company and given it my all, I would even say I gave the best of me to that place. I loved the place, I adored the job, and I cared very deeply for the people I worked with.

I had holidays owed to me, because I never really wanted to take any, I loved working there so much. In the six months prior to my holiday, I had separated from my partner, it was not an easy breakup, and I became a single parent, and I will not deny, the pressure of working and not letting my employer down, raising a young girl alone, and juggling the bills I had discovered after my partner left, was taking its toll on me.

 The breakup had been hard and very stressful, not just on me, but also on my daughter, I still feel it had a huge negative impact on her life, and changed her forever. When told I had to take a holiday or lose the days, I took it, and had a week alone in Wales with my daughter and rested, it was really needed.

I arrived back in work a week later on the Monday, and five minutes later, I was unemployed, and so shocked, I could hardly speak. Saying goodbye to everyone was soul crushing for me, and having to walk away from a place I loved dearly, destroyed me completely. I have never forgotten that moment as I walked out of the gates and looked back across the small bridge, and I swore to myself that after the betrayal I felt, I would never give my all to anyone else again. From that moment onwards, I would only work for me, and I have been true to that vow since.

Life got hard after that, and I struggled to survive, and yet, even though my confidence crashed and I fought like hell to stay afloat through what became a really bad bout of depression, I manged to do what I did best at the time. I saved all my spare change, propagated plants, and slowly built a business that was for me. Against the odds I fought like hell to survive, and in my spare time, I attended night school to occupy my mind. One other thing I did, was I wrote stories, one in particular, after all, when you have worked from dawn until dusk for years, being out of a job, you suddenly have a lot of spare time.

In many ways it was therapeutic, and today, I really do feel that it saved me. It certainly helped restore my sanity, and my devastated feelings, and slowly my confidence began to grow, as writing my thoughts down on paper, brought me back to life. I actually wrote a journal, about my whole life, which was thousands of pages long, and when finished, I burned it. What I learned from that experience, was the true meaning of facing the truth, and it became a big part of the way it would shape me for my future. I learned to be free, and lose the fear, especially when writing.

Night school taught me counselling and psychology, as did online courses. Daytime allowed me the space to build up stock for a new horticultural business, and spare moments and weekends gave me time to write, and slowly, between 1994, and 2005 I got my life back together. My business was not easy to build, I had so little cash to start with, but as a plant propagator, I had skill and knowledge, and so used it, until I had five thousand British pounds of good quality stock. It was then, I started to book market stalls, and began trading. I built the business up very slowly, it was a tough time, and I was not rich, but there again, I had lived on almost nothing, so the money I made, whilst not a lot, was far more than I was used to. Finally in the early 2000’s, I took on a wooden Market building, and fitted it out with an investment of my own cash.

I started counselling in my spare time, in a voluntary capacity to help kids, which as I learned more skills and got more training, I moved into sexual dysfunction, relationships and abuse, and I always worked for free. I have never charged any client, I saw them as the victims, why would I charge them, when it was the abuser who should pay? Once again, I was laughed at, and told. “You should charge, you are an idiot, you could be rich.” Those people had no idea at all about the value of life, and owning your own.

Through all of it, I wrote, a little here, and new idea there, and slowly over many years, one story in particular really gripped my imagination, hell it still does, I am still writing things for it behind the scenes.

the first book in the series heirs to the Kingdom by Robin John Morgan.

The one thing I will say without hesitation, is that since 1994, no matter what I have done, and as many people who have laughed at me will tell you, I never did any of it for money, I did it because that was simply what I wanted to do. I have never forgotten the helplessness I felt stood in that office after a holiday I was forced to take, and being told, the job I loved so dearly, was being taken away from me. Ironically, it was by the same man who had promised I would never lose it. I knew then, no one would ever have that power over me again, and since that day, they haven’t.

In 2006 the local council told me I was losing my tenancy because they wanted to pull down the market and build a garden style public square, how ironic, they booted the gardener out, and again I had to face reality, and I will not deny, I was pissed off, and so I fought the local council, and everyone laughed and told me, you will lose everything, I just laughed back, and told them, I know, but I will do it anyhow.

They were right, I lost almost all my savings and ended up with a garden full of stock, and yet smiled, I had been here before. Luckily for me, in 2006, I also began to write my story, the one that had been stuck in my head for such a long time. A friend of mine got to read it, and told everyone it was amazing. I told him, I have no hope of publishing it, he laughed at me and told me, do it anyway, so I did.

I shocked everyone who knew me, by announcing, “I am giving up horticulture and walking away from it.” It left them speechless, and some even laughed at me and told me, “You are so stupid, it is your life, everyone knows you are the go to guy for plants, what is wrong with you, are you deliberately trying to ruin your life?” I shrugged it off, I was done with life, I was tired and weary of the long hard hours, the freezing cold wet days, and I wanted more out of life than I was getting. If I was going to do something that sucked up all of my day, it was going to be something that gave me a restful peace, and the freedom to live as I wanted. So I published a book.

The publisher charged almost all my savings, and I ended screwed and never got a single penny in royalties, so I cancelled my agreement, and told those around me, sod it, I will publish my own books. In 2013, I sat down and started to learn as much as I could on how to publish a book, it took a while, but on January 1st 2014, I launched my imprint VCP, and did a full rewrite of my own works, and put them out. Again, I invested everything I had left in the bank, crossed my fingers and hoped to hell it worked, as I was really close to the wire and this time, I had nothing to fall back on.

I am still here eight years later, am I rich? Nope, do I care? Nope. Why?

I am a writer, and I learned something very important, as I faced all the trials of my life. What I learned, was betrayal from family, employer, and friends, false promises, fake personalities, people pleasing, guilt, lust, desire, greed, power, conceit, arrogance, shaming, fighting, simple living, survival, anxiety, dark thoughts, temper, abuse, victimisation, bullying, and a thousand other things. I had the advantage of a window into so many other peoples lives, as well as my own. I did not realise at the time, how important each of those moments of learning would become to my future.

When I was ten, my grandfather sat me down with a copy of Ivanhoe, and made me read it out loud to him. Watching him sat listening to me read, is still one of my fondest memories of him. I loved how he would occasionally smile, or nod his head, and the way the story impacted on him, and it made me a reader forever. It was not always easy, I do have dyslexia, and at times I confuse words and get mixed up, but it has never stopped me reading, and I have struggled to overcome it all my life.

I love Phillip Pulman, Arthur Conan Doyle, Tolkien, John Windham, H. G. Wells, and countless other writers work, and I have read thousands of books throughout my life. I learned to love stories of life, and my wonderful English Teacher from school, Miss Casey, inspired me to read more. To Kill a Mockingbird, Roots, 1984, A Brave new world, The Chrysalids, they changed me forever. I understand now, they also taught me something, they taught me what a good story is like for the reader. It has to be honest, written straight from the hip, and confrontational if needs be, and it has to also be alive with wonder, and suddenly I understood something very important.

At age 44, I knew a good story, and understood life better than anyone realised, and finally, something that had been more of a hobby in my past, became the focus of my life to come. You see, I love day dreaming and making up stories, and I love people watching and listening to their own stories of the lives they live. I absolutely love writing them down, and armed with a life seen as filled by mishaps by others, and working with hurt broken people, I had an arsenal of information built perfectly for my future, because I aimed to be writer forever, and now at 58 years old, I am.

The first job I mentioned, taught me how to use arrogance, complacency, greed, betrayal, and survival. It taught me the value of friendship and comradery, and the humour we bounce off each other working in difficult conditions. Being alone raising a child who hated me for throwing her mum out, taught me loneliness and dealing with the stress and pressure of taking care of others. It became Heirs to the Kingdom.

My fight with the council and some of their dirty tricks, taught me about those who felt entitled by their position, and how they abuse people because they were so ruthless, they can toss them away without a care. It all made HTTK even better, and it added such a powerful weight to the lead characters, that they walked off the pages like real people to those who read it.

My time as counsellor, taught me abuse, shame, victimisation, sexual behaviours and practices, manipulation and self hatred, and it became the foundation of The Curio Chronicles. It really gave me an insight into a life behind closed doors very few knew about, and has allowed me to follow the life of my character Abigail and some of her friends, as they go through life against a community that is set against them. I can hold up a mirror to modern society and show the real truth, behind the fake morality of this day and age. Why, because I have lived there.

A bad first long term relationship taught me the real pain and anguish of betrayal. Control of an arrogant boss, lies and deceit, combined with a corrupt council, gave me everything I needed to work into the dark fantasy of Rise of the Raven. The battle of Branna to stay true to her word, and fight through the darkness for Ariel. Her hatred for the fake image of Rhiannon, I have lived that and seen it, for me it was real and painful. For Branna, it became her story to overcome the dark to keep her love for Ariel alive and strong.

In 2007 I met a young woman, an artist, a reader and a creative person, and she changed my life. Her example became parts of Runestone, Jade and Jett. She inspired Abigail, Birch and Chloe, and also played a role in the relationship of Ariel and Branna. She added to the value of the person I was, and she became my wife. The daughter we had, has been an inspiration for other characters, and again it has all added to my later life as a writer. Not one day passes that I do not sit back and consider myself to be man of great wealth, and yet I have very little in the bank.

Nine years ago, I lost someone very special and very significant to me, and it is something that had a huge impact on my life, I have never quite recovered from the blow. I have not often spoke about it, some say I should deal with it and get over it, and I have continued to live my life as normally as possible. That aspect of me will appear in small parts of a story I have been working on for several years, and although no one will really know which parts, it has helped me to write it. Once again, my teacher and instructor of writing, are those I have read, and those who have impacted my life. Not that long ago I was told. “You need to make more money, you will never be rich writing, do something more valuable to society.” I simply smiled, at stupid they sounded to me.

I am a writer, nothing more, and I love it. I have been called a dystopian writer, a fantasy writer, even a writer of kink, which made me laugh. I have books in the fiction, Arthurian, LGBT, battle, magic, fantasy, rural, genres and a few others. I do not really pay that much attention to them, as I see myself as a slice of life writer. I take a character, and I write their life story, the whole living truth of it, regardless of where it is set, be it fantasy or real. I am a teller of tales, nothing more. It makes me so very happy.

RJM Writer/Author

I am told, I should sell myself more or I will never be rich, like it is some prerequisite for the successful life. Well, I can assure you, I will not tick that particular bench mark, and actually I don’t care. Money is not everything, I love what I do, I love being able to sit for days and use my mind, my dreams, and creativity to write down all these amazing and wonderful characters, that are a pale patchwork taken from the reality of everyone I have met. My thoughts and my words, paint the picture of a character that comes alive on the page, now that to me is real magic.

In essence, that is the joy of reading, every book opens up an aspect of life we never knew about. Each book is a challenge on some level, and we may not always agree with a part of it, but our eyes are still opened. We can sit alone, and live many different lives, and experience the unknown, which in turn expands our horizons and broadens our minds, and that is why I write. You see, all those writers I have loved, did the same, and it has helped me through life, and I aim to continue it on.

Life is not about fast cars, big houses and designer labels, it is about being real, and being honest with yourself, admitting your flaws and embracing them, and living a life that has real value, not monetary value. That moment with a loved one, when your eyes catch that momentary glance they stole of you, and you smile to yourself. Those moments when your child turns and says, I love you dad. That joy of a parent who looks at you and says, I am proud of you son, those count, they have true meaning, and no amount of money can buy them.

Knowing the darkness will pass, or that no matter how hard life gets, you will make it through, you have no idea what that will look like, but you know you will get there. Being smacked down, and having to get up again when you feel at your worst, but knowing that was the lowest point, and from here you will rise again, that is the true value of life. That is what I write about, because one day, someone as lost and feeling as hopeless as I did, will read my words, and just like I did, they will start over and move forward again, that is why I write.

So, again I ask, why do we read, and why do we write?

Simply put… Because we should, because within those pages, the answer to inspire you is waiting, or in need of being written down.

We live in a world that is losing the ability to understand why books are written, and my best advice to you, would be simply this. Never be one of them, books have the wisdom to guide you forward, forget that at your peril, and keep reading. If you cannot find that one book you desire to read, then write it, you have the skills, you have already lived them.

Go read, or write.

Robin John Morgan, is a writer blogger, who has written the series of fantasy adventure, Heirs to the Kingdom, is currently writing the slice of life fiction, The Curio Chronicles, and has also published Rise of the Raven, a dark pre medieval fantasy of political betrayal. He continues to write more. All his work is available in digital and print formats from all leading book retailers.

Shame, Shame, Shame!

One of the delights of writing the Curio Chronicles, was that for myself, I finally got to write about something very close to my heart. It is no secret I have worked as a counsellor for many years, and for most of that time, there have been a couple of subjects that have been predominately the theme of those I worked with. I started out my counselling working with young people aged under sixteen, and then with more training, I moved into sexual dysfunction and relationships, which took me into the broader world of older teens and older generations.

The two most important points that came up time after time, were that of bullying and the lack of understanding between differing generations. I cannot count the number of times, I have heard, ‘they don’t understand, they never do’ or, ‘they are completely out of touch with how it really is.’ The crazy thing was, it was not just teenagers telling me that, forty year olds also said that about their neighbours or parents.

The more I worked, the more I could see how a large number of people were moving away from an attitude of live and let live, and acceptance of others. The world appeared to me to be becoming more and more divided, as I noted a lack of understanding drove a wedge between every generation, to the point I may add, that today, I feel that as a race of living beings sharing a planet, we are more divided than ever.

The Shame of the Village

With each generation the divide gets wider and wider, as traditional views, clash with new more modern ideals. In many ways, I can understand this, it has always happened, but I feel the gap is widening as the older generations look to the young. I understand that for someone born in the 1940’s the world was a very different place compared to today’s liberated and more open attitudes. Back then, morality and respect were enforced, sex was not spoken about, and neither was abuse, especially marital, there was a view that some things should remain unspoken, and swept under the carpet, and hidden from sight. Compared to my liberal youth growing up around the culture of bikers and hippies, those of the older generation appeared oppressive and controlling, and my generation fought against that, we wanted a more open and accepting world for the age of the1970’s and beyond.

The introduction of the contraceptive pill in 1964, changed the world as it gave women the freedom and liberation of a choice to control their own lives, and it started a cultural revolution, which for my generation, unlike say, my father’s, sex became much more widely available, and spoken about. We all went a little wild, and we all certainly had a lot of fun, and yet by today’s hook up culture and standards, it was actually quite mild and conservative. The biggest draw back of my generation, was even though it was more open, it increased an old attitude and new language, and that was I feel, the first really huge divide of generations, and the start of the culture of shaming people for their sex lives, especially women. 

I hate the word ‘Slag’ it was freely used in my youth, and is still a word I react to with verbal aggression these days. I find the word vile and disgusting, and since that time, many variations of it have appeared, to shame and ridicule women for doing what everyone enjoys. It has always angered me, that in order for a woman to be sexual, in most cases there is a male involved, and yet through my youth those men were idolised and regarded with praise for their ability to have sex with many women, and yet the women were seen as trash, a whore, and a tramp. It was wrong then, and is still wrong now, and as Birch points out in Abigail’s Summer.

 “So Hatty is a transient?” I shook my head.

“Nope, she is the Village Harlot.” Birch leaned off the glass, and walked over as the kettle clicked off.

“That is a bit mean, she is an artist, I have never met one yet that is not free spirited, and as for Harlot, I hate the way the world says women cannot be sexual or enjoy sex. I have watched my mum smash that myth to pieces for years, and it still won’t die. Wow this place really is like stepping back in time.”

She is referring to the attitude of Marjorie and her cronies, and the influence they have had on Felicity. It is Marjorie, who labelled Hatty a Harlot for her sexual behaviour, and it is at that point that I address the obvious, which is, Marjorie has no real proof of Hatty’s sexual behaviour, it is all speculation.

being disgraceful, gets approval from young Deb’s

The simple truth is, Hatty had an affair with the brother of Edwin many years ago, and word got out, nobody addresses the fact of her state of mind at the time. In truth as later comes out in the book, her mother had died, who she was very close to, as she lived with her. Hatty was heartbroken, alone, and had little comfort in her life, and through a chance meeting, she met Jeremy, who we see in Abby’s reaction later in the book, was a player who used women. Abby is of the mind that Jeremy took advantage of Hatty, and she is correct, which comes out when he zones in on Birch in Abby’s garden, after they return from the care home.

“Abigail darling so nice to see you.”

“Cut the crap Uncle Jerry, she is off limits.” He rolled his eyes.

“Really Abigail, I was just being polite.” Birch looked at him.

“No, you were hitting on me, but I am aware you are married, and I was seeing just how far you would go. I am sorry Jerry, but in this case, your reputation arrived long before you did.” He looked offended.

“I see I have no secrets here.” I agreed.

“Not in this house, I was there, remember? You know, when you took advantage of Hatty, and then used her to piss my dad off, and get her banned from here, so you could keep shagging her behind your wife’s back?”

This is a wonderful example of how the generation divide is growing, Marjorie sits in judgement of Hatty, and also attacks Abby and Birch. Marjorie’s view point is based on one incident, a mistake, a moment of bad decision on Hatty’s part, and for that, Hatty suffers the price of never being able to forget it and move on with her life after she ends the affair. Hatty’s moment to seek comfort in her grief, becomes Jeremy’s opportunity to bed a good looking women, and yet, no one attacks Jeremy, Hatty bears the brunt of it all and is shamed for life. Edwin even defends his brother, by refusing to accept he was responsible, and blames Hatty, and bans her from the house.

He glared at her with hate.

“God you are irritating, don’t you have a man to bed?” Her face was dead pan.

“No, he is giving his sermon at St Marks in Oxendale about now.” Even Felicity gasped.

“That is uncalled for Hatty, Edwin’s brother is past history, you should leave it where it lies.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, it was in my bed for two years and not his wife’s. I would say he was more of a man of the sheets than a man of the cloth, wouldn’t you Edwin?” His face was purple.

“If you were a man, I would hit you.” She smiled and wagged her finger at him.

“Now, Now, Edwin, don’t let my sex put you off, we have equal rights, but best not show all these good church going folk, your true colours. I have no idea what they would say?” It was simply too much for him to tolerate.

“I am going to the Hunters, I will stand her no longer Felicity, you bloody well deal with her.”

Edwin is unable to confront the truth, and so has decided to believe Marjorie, and it was all Hatty’s fault, it is a perfect example of the cognitive dissonance of the village, and I may add society today. One mistake can last an age, as we see in Curio’s Summer, when Birch reaches her limit and breaks down sat in Petal outside the house, and askes Hatty the obvious question.

She sniffled and sat back and took a deep breath.

“I thought I was strong, but she is hurting all of us, and I hate seeing them like that. How do you stay so strong Hatty, she has been at you for years?” Hatty sat back in the passenger seat and smiled.

“I face the bitch, I am disrespectful, and then I go home lock the doors, and have a dammed good cry.” Birch turned and sniffled.

“You cry, what, you mean all these years, you have gone home and broke down?” She gave a nod.

“Birch don’t do it on a lane where people can see it, and then tell her. Do it alone where no one will see it, that way she never knows she is winning.”

Curio's Summer, Robin John Morgan
Curio’s Summer by Robin John Morgan

It is an important moment in the book, as suddenly the reality of all the shaming she has endured is seen it the cold light of day. Hatty has endured a living hell, her life has been ruined, for no other reason than Marjorie has no understanding of the circumstances, and so attacks and shames, and labels her without any consideration of the facts. In Marjorie’s mind it is simple, Hatty is at fault, it was all her doing, and Jeremy is erased from everything and left to walk free of all repercussions. Once again, the male is irrelevant, it is all the woman’s fault. I really feel it is a narrative that needs to change.

Shaming is not just about sex though, is it? Abby voices her thoughts perfectly in Curio’s Summer.

‘The Curio’s wanted to live in peace, and be a part of this place, why had no one ever understood that? I had dyed my hair and it started a five year war, and if it came to an end, I would not complain.’

Our society has grown to find fault through a lack of understanding for many issues, and it has been my aim throughout all of the Curio Chronicles to highlight this, using Wotton to mirror all of society. Lack of understanding leads to misrepresentation of the facts, and all it takes is for one person to make a comment, and others will embrace it and continue it, and I feel it has become a major problem with life today. I have used a lot of humour to highlight this within the series of books, but within it all is a very serious point, none more poignant, than in the speech Roni gives at the Summer Fete in Abigail’s Summer.

She slipped off the table and walked to the front of the stage.

“The one lesson I have learned in my practice, probably more than anything else, is this.” She turned and pointed to the large screen, and as she said the words, they appeared on the screen. “Grownups…. Bully…Too.” I gasped when I saw it.

I remember the reaction of my wife when she first read that chapter, it took her breath away. Like Abby and Birch, she had suffered under the scrutiny of adults and been shammed for it. Reading it on the page, for her, it was almost as if it was the first time she had ever encountered someone else, who was strong enough to simply state it. It had a profound effect on her, and since then, I have heard her say it to others in conversations. It fascinates me, and feels almost as if finally, she has permission to say it. Roni goes on to make what is probably the most valid point of the book, and like the experience my wife had, Abby is blown away by it.

“When we say the word bully, just about everyone thinks of school, that is just where it starts, and trust me, it is not a thing for young children alone, and it has been around for a very long time. I think is it one of the biggest fundamental problems of life today.”

She stood still for second, and looked round at everyone in the room, I could feel the tension in the air, and felt goosebumps on my arms. I mean holy shit, she was there in front of all of them, and calling them out for their own behaviour, I gave a slight gasp.

“Oh my god, she is brave.”

Abigail’s Summer by Robin John Morgan

I ask the question, is she brave? Does it need to be said? I actually think it does, which is why in 2020, when I finally made the decision to stop counselling after twenty five years, I made the choice to sit down and write something that reflected a large part of my life, and I wrote about everything I had learned in my time, sat alone with a person who was a victim of one of the many different forms of bullying and shame. They often say write from a point of view of knowledge, and this is a subject I have studied for a very long time, and as can been seen in the Curio Chronicles, I take two very important aspects of my life, and hand one to Abby, and one to Birch. In doing so, I have two aspects of myself within the characters, a writer, and a therapist, which I feel, allowed me the insight to create two very loveable characters to enact my thoughts and feelings together.

It is well documented that I prefer to live a very quiet and private life, and although there is an element of me in every character I have written through Heirs to the Kingdom, or Rise of the Raven, the Curio Chronicles holds far more of the person I am than any other story I have written. Okay, so remember, these books are the experiences of others, blended with my own life experiences, and contrary to popular opinion, there are even a few things within these stories that are a bridge too far for me in my own life. There are issues within these stories that clashed with my own beliefs, but as a counsellor, I had to struggle to gain full understanding of the situations. In many ways, I am glad I was able to do it, which again brings me back to my first point. It is the lack of understanding that drives a lot of shaming in this world, especially around issues of sex and kinks, and how the young have embraced it more than any previous generation, including my own.

I understand victimisation, I understand being shamed by family, and by others. I know what it feels like to have deep feelings about an issue, and be dismissed as irrelevant and stupid by those close to me, and because of it had my voice snuffed out, and was made to feel like a person of no value at all. It has happened to me and countless others I have worked with, and it is soul destroying as it eats away at you, to the point where you no longer feel of any value at all, and that has been well documented within the Curio Chronicles, as was seen in Abigail’s Summer.

“Children should be seen, and not heard, a respectful quiet child, is a child worthy of praise.”

I walked behind him in his shadow, I was his shadow, and unable to step forward, and be seen. Walking at the side of Birch, all I wanted was to be that unseen shadow again, out of sight, hidden from view and not the centre of the village’s attention.

I remembered the scarecrow in Sutton’s wheat field, stared at and alone, everyone was aware of them, but no one cared enough to really know them, a lonely figure in full view. That was me, it had always been me.

It is a feeling that was so powerful within in my younger years, I wanted to share it, and gave it to Abigail. I will add, it was not my father who made me feel this way, it was someone else. The point is, that it ruled my life for a long time, and took me many years to overcome it, and like Hatty, I too suffered in silence alone and isolated from everything. It happens, and as Roni states, ‘it has been around for a very long time.’

Shamed for no other reason, than she is Abigail

The world today has taken on board shaming and victimisation without considering the consequences, people have reached a level where they just slip into it without even thinking. Labelling people they do not agree with is out of control, and it is always derogatory. Curio’s Summer takes a really wide open look at youth culture today, I wanted to accurately show the truth. I made it clear long before its release, it was going to challenge the narrative of many, because I knew, there were a few levels I could take the story, that would confront the real startling truth, and highlight the generational divides within the reading population.

I have not been disappointed, and had conversations already, where readers expressed their comments and some disapproval, that is the point of the book, to highlight what our youth really think and feel, and then light it up with a huge spotlight, and get exactly the reaction I have received. In my previous blog post on here, ‘Summer with the Curio’s.’ I ask the question; after reading the book, how many will think Marjorie was right?  

Chloe’s truth

The point was, will you be able to read and understand the youth, or will you disagree and form a different opinion, which stands in judgement? It is an important question to ask, because in order to do that, you have to face your own preconceived notions of right and wrong, and form an opinion based on your own moral view point. I have highlighted that to good effect in the sexual content of the book, but look carefully, see past the act and listen to the dialogue, for it is there that the truth lies in plain sight. Abby’s internal dialogue really shows her voyage of self discovery, and learning, but will it be noticed, or will people be too busy complaining about the content? If you can overcome your upbringing related to your own generation, and actually work to understand how youth culture is developing today, you will become part of the cure, instead of the cause. Modern culture is radically different to my 70’s generation, and for those born before 1950, it is beyond recognition, all the rules have changed, and traditional values, and moralities have swung completely in the opposite direction from 1950’s Britain. Let me elaborate with an example of my own life.

A few years back I took my wife on a date, and we went for a drink in a place she visited as a younger woman. It was her birthday, and we had a baby sitter, but they could not sit for very long, so I arranged to take her out, spend an hour with her, and invited her sisters to join us for a little celebration with her after I had to leave. During our time there, I had to visit the toilet, and so headed for the men’s room.

Whilst in there, a younger guy came in and asked me, if I had grown tired of screwing my wife yet? Okay, so I am a trained counsellor, very liberal, and have an amazing relationship with my wife, who like me, has a very warped sense of humour. I was a little taken aback, as he was so up front about it all, and very confident, so asked the guy, why he wanted to know? His response was this.

“Well, you know, if you are bored, I think she is hot, so I will give her a good fucking for you, and you can go fuck someone else.”

Liberal as I may be, it sort of threw me a little, but again, I know my wife very well indeed, and so in my warped twisted way, I responded.

“I do not own her, she is a free person, go ask her.”

He smiled, appeared pleased with himself and went to do exactly that. Knowing her, I felt sorry for him, because her response was to verbally destroy him and his maleness on the spot, in front of everyone for being so rude.

The point here is, that you may not like it, or not want to know about it, but the fact is, even a wedding ring is no longer a protection from modern culture. To them it means nothing, and they will happily sleep with your wife if they find her attractive, regardless of marital status. It is simply meaningless to them, all that matters is living life to the full and getting as much sex as they can, with whomever will bed them.

It is not just men, young women with happily hook up with a married man for that one night of pleasure, or your friend will happily sleep with your partner, and say nothing. This is not all of the youth of today, but it is a very large percentage of them. Whether you agree or disagree, is meaningless, that is where modern culture is at now, and it is spreading to all generations. Cheating has been normalised, the internet is riddled with sites that proudly advertise that it is a site to find people to cheat with. Oh yes, we shame it when we hear of it, but the simple truth is, like Wotton, people will shame you for doing something they are quite prepared to do themselves, and probably did last week.

All Girls Together.

Traditional marriages are dying, as the concept of one person forever is regarded as old fashioned. Most marriages last 3 to 6 years these days, and then people divorce and move on. The idea of a one true love, or soul mate, is a temporary notion. Monogamy is out of fashion, as couples embrace some of the many different types of open relationships, and they are on the rise, where sleeping with others is not regarded as shameful, but arranged with consent and agreed to by both parties. You may not like it, or even agree with it, but this is happening, and our young are being taught things like this, and sexual diversity early in their life, by schools, social media, and their peers. You may hate the politically correct, and diversity signals, and even disagree with them, but the fact is the whole of society has been overrun with them, and they are here to stay, and it is changing the perceptions of life as we all know it.

The darker side of it, is the pressure it has placed on everyone, which is increasingly growing stronger with our younger generations, who feel more than ever in history before, that they must conform. Without understanding how, greed and guilt have taken centre stage, creating a narrative of supremacy and control, it is almost like the old tale of the Emperors new clothes, where we worship the false ideals for the sake of inclusion, and in order to do that, we virtue signal our allegiance to our pack.

How it looks is the most important thing.

It is a fake front to shame others and keep the focus on them, to deflect it from themselves, and the older generations above forty, are experts at it. Nothing is taboo for the young anymore, it really is live in the moment and live life to the full, and we may not agree or like it, but in truth, we have to accept that life is now like that, and it is not going away any time soon. Celebrity culture, social media, and the mainstream media, all use the same tools to shame those who disagree with them, and any idea of discourse is dead. If you disagree, there is a long list of names you will be called, people are no longer open to listening, they simply go on the offensive, and brand you with a title that will shame you into walking away and avoiding them, and living in fear.

The public are watching this play out in their viewing and browsing lives, and they are adopting the very same behaviour they see on their computers and using them in real life, and I take those examples and work them into my story. Anthony is shamed for his gayness; Chloe is a tramp because she is prettier than the girls and more popular than they are. Abby is a slut for dying her hair black and red, Birch is a whore because she has trained in sexual subjects, and Edwina and Deb’s, as equally as shamed, simply by association. Victimisation and shaming, isolate and control them, for no other reason than they want to live as they choose, but it defies the narrative of the majority.

The Curio’s are liberated, open minded and filled with life, and they can party harder than maybe any of us ever have, but are they wrong and is Marjorie, right? Is a threesome wrong, when all parties consent and enjoy it? In today’s society, there are a lot of people who as a married couple, are engaging in threesomes for the joy and excitement it gives them. We may not agree, but that does not mean it does not happen. It does, and it is far more popular than you think, so is BDSM, you would be surprised what your neighbours get up to behind closed doors, I have had a peep, and it is eye opening, but if it is consensual, should it be shamed?

Abby’s realisation.

We have encouraged and now embraced a fake conservatism, as some sort of shield of morality to hide our own sins behind, and it has infected every aspect of life today. Sitting in judgement, is easier than trying to understand, and so labelling those who offend you and get everyone else to attack them brings a sense of security. The simple truth is, lost in the pile are our young, who are getting some very wrong signals, and as a result, they are living a wilder than expected life, but have no understanding of the consequences, or long term implications. It is crazy to think that in this modern judgemental day and age, you can lose your job over a drunken tweet, written ten years ago, and labelled and shamed for it, for the rest of your life, yet it happens.

It amazes me how hypocritical society has become, and no one is immune from the bullies, and yes, adults are far worse than school kids. It matters not what you think, or how you dress, someone somewhere today will be offended, and as a result, your clothes, your hair, your lifestyle, your sex life, all of it can be targeted on a whim, and it does destroy lives.

It is driven by a media narrative of fake filters, hypocrisy, and virtue signalling, all with the aim of setting the trends, drama, mispresenting, and fear mongering. I highlight this with Marjorie, as she jumps to conclusions, and her rhetoric of how the Curio’s will destroy the village, and soil its reputation, which keeps others afraid of forming an allegiance with them. It is a game of power plays, and control and it is there right in front of you, and all you have to do is sit back and take note. Try and see for yourself, and see how people talk in half truths, and take everything out of context to feel superior, and then ask yourself ‘What are they trying to hide?’

The one point that most people miss, is voiced often by Birch throughout the Curio Chronicle books. The simple truth is, the youth have understood something the older generations have not yet understood. In layman’s terms, you are only capable of being you, and how you live your life, has nothing to do with anyone else. If you have a kink or like to go wild occasionally, you can, it is no one’s business other than your own. You can shatter the shackles of society and live as you so wish without being harassed or victimised for it, simply because others have never lived that way, and the Curio’s do that, with at times, shocking results for some.

Simply herself, being Chloe.

The societal narrative, controls the masses with the huge threat of what will people say? The truth is, it is none of their business and people need to look them in the eyes and tell them, why does it matter? We have bought into the myth that we must comply, or be shamed, and all of us need to speak out against it, and own ourselves as Birch does. No one has the right to tell you what you can and cannot do, which is sort of the point of being an adult, but too many of us have forgotten that.

Marjorie and those like her have no right to comment or shame people for living by their own beliefs, and yet mass market media and social media comment and shame people for things such as a naked lifestyle or sexual practices. You may not agree with the Curio’s, but that does not give you the right to shame or bully them, even if social media says it is alright. I find social media to be the biggest and most thought controlling hypocrites on the whole of the internet. They allow you to point the finger and shame others for the reasons they agree with, and ban, and limit those who have voices they don’t agree with, and free speech is being stifled alongside free expression, and everyone is happily accepting it. In my eyes, that is just a big online version of Marjorie and her shrew crew.

Recent events saw comedian Criss Rock, verbally humiliate the wife of Will Smith, at a large public event, and as a result, Will, defended his wife and publicly slapped Criss rock across the face. Will Smith has been condemned across the whole social and mainstream media for his actions, some say he may never work again for it. I have a problem with that, I do not condone violence ever, and yet I have to sit back and ask, why is all the hatred being thrown at Will Smith?

Why has no one asked why Criss Rock chose to attack and shame a woman who through no fault of her own, contracted a skin complaint, that saw her lose a great percentage of her hair? No matter how you look at it, she has suffered, but has also been immensely brave, and spoken out publicly of her condition to help others. It is a brave act, especially as she lives within a world where people are measured by their image. In Hollywood, how it looks on the outside, is far more important that how it is on the inside, and she has had to deal with that. I do not believe she should have been publicly humiliated like that, and yet again, the Marjorie’s of this world turned a blind eye to the facts of Rock’s insensitive and disgraceful comments, and shamed and attacked Will Smith for defending his wife. Is it me, or does that feel wrong?

The Curio Chronicles, by Robin John Morgan

As the series continues, I will show and highlight outside aspects that work their way into Wotton, and how what started out as gossip in the village, will flood out into the wider world, and bring other troubles and shaming for Abby and Birch. My point is simply, the key to all of this is understanding and acceptance, because the world is harder to navigate these days, and knowledge is power, as we saw at the end of Abigail’s Summer and in Curio’s Summer. Knowing the truth, is your strength to fight against the injustice, and in this world today, there are few who stand up for what is right. When one does, it gets attention, and draws others to overcome their fears and stand with them.

We cannot simply trust everything we hear, and continue shaming and bullying as we are doing, we have to gain a better insight and understanding, and then with that knowledge, we can all adjust ourselves to work for the better of everyone, and understand, people have the right to live as they see fit, as long as no one is harmed. Roni states it clearly.

‘Be you… Appreciate each other.’ It is good advice, try it and see for yourself.

For those who have bought my books and supported my writing life, I thank you a great deal, it is the joy in my life to write and create such wonderful characters for all of you to share their worlds.

Curio’s Summer, the follow up to Abigail’s Summer is now available in digital and print formats, as is all of the Heirs to the Kingdom series and Rise of the Raven, from all online book suppliers and reading apps.

Summer with the Curio’s

Curio's Summer, Robin John Morgan
Curio’s Summer.

The second book in the Curio Chronicles series is here, and is out in print and digital, and so I want to take a moment to look at what is the second book of this series. As I have said before, the Curio Chronicles is the story of the life of Abigail Jennifer Watson, that charts her life and the choices she has made, and has to make, as she moves through life with her friends, centred around the conservative, and somewhat old fashioned thinking residents of her home village.

In the first book, Abigail’s Summer, she was just nineteen years old, and as she enters on page one of the second book, she will be twenty four, facing a life away from university, stuck at home, as Birch her best friend has remained at university to finish her doctorate in psychology.

It is here that I want to begin to highlight my thinking as I wrote the book, and firstly approach the theme of the story as the process of starting to grow up, and facing maturity begins. Based on my experiences with working with younger people, I have had a good chance to sit back and observe the reality of life, which let’s be honest, is not at all fair. The Curio’s as a group grew very close in a short space of time, but the movement into adulthood, is a difficult one, and once college and Uni were over, life takes a dramatic change as suddenly they are all faced with work, and the responsibility of an adult. The bond is still strong, but to a degree has been strained.

Anthony consults Abby

I really do feel that we do not teach enough adult skills in schools these days, and once set free from the bonds of education, our young tend to go a little wild for a while, and at times, that has some very negative consequences that the young are ill equipped to deal with. As a result of that, we see a lot of jumping to conclusions, overthinking, and drama. Oh yes, there can be a lot of drama, especially in the 22 to 30 year old bracket.

Having watched this, and I am currently experiencing this with one of my own children and their friends, I do find it quite fascinating from the point of view of human behaviour. The simple truth is that at eighteen and out of college and high school, the young tend to think, I am grown up now, and I can do as I like, and as society clearly shows, yes you can, but do not expect others to see it that way, especially the older generations. The culture clash that follows can bring with it a lot of resistance, and that will always lead to confrontation, not only with other generations, but also with each other, especially, if you are a young person influenced by the drama around you.

One of the delights of this book, was in the bringing together the group who all have different backgrounds and different attitudes, and allowing them the freedom to interact. To a degree, having established their persona’s in the first book, I was free to really explore and expand these characters, and I had a lot of fun doing so. Having Birch around helps, she is a natural negotiator, but she is fallible, as all through Uni she carefully controlled the amount of experiences that Abby has so as not to freak her out, and in many ways, Birch feels she has to take on that responsibility for all of the group. It is a beautiful characteristic, but it can also wear on you, and there are moments when even Birch finds life a struggle.

This book allows me the chance to really explore the characters, and get inside their heads as they interact with each other, and I cannot deny, I love the chaos that it brought through the group dynamic, as the group still felt very much like they could live as they did that summer aged around nineteen, but as they find out, it is not always as easy as they think, and there are some hard lessons to face and resolve.

Abigail’s Summer

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book, was exploring Abigail, and taking into account all of her past history, with her cruel father, her aloof mother, and the wild liberated attitude of Hatty. Abby has learned to overthink everything, and she is always close to the edge of a panic attack. Her naivety is her weakest point, and it is simply her lack of knowledge of the outside world, and what people are really capable of, that leaves her at times a little too trusting, and as a result she gets exploited. I have seen this so many times in life, and when it is pointed out to the individual, they are shocked and at a loss of how to really respond. The problem is, when people are raised in such a protected environment, they do tend to move towards becoming inward, and start jumping to conclusions, and I have seen so much of this. They start to believe their own truths, and sadly they are so far removed from the actual truth, that when they are finally confronted, it is usually a massive blow to them, that leaves them reeling and unable to cope.

Abby and Birch feel their doubts

Abby, is very prone to such behaviour, hence Birch is always trying to point things out and increase her education, especially around issues of sexual discovery. It is easy to think that Birch is the most mature and responsible, and in that you would be wrong, it is actually Edwina, who favours her mother more than her father, and actually has a very acute mind for business. Birch is prone to outbursts of joy, and running off on excitable tangents, whereas Edwina, is far more grounded and level headed. Her sister on the other hand is only interested in emulating her idol, Hatty. Chloe swears like a sailor, and her passion is to paint and get laid, and she is exceptionally good at both, as we soon discover in the first few chapters of the book.

The thing is, Chloe is actually really tuned in to who she is, and she is actually a lot brighter than you would first expect. She is probably the best cook in the group, as she shares the role with her mother in the kitchens of her parents’ restaurant. She has simple tastes, and simple pleasures, and trust me, as we saw towards the end of the first book, she has absolutely no inhibitions at all, which does surprise and startle Abby more than she would be willing to admit. Within all of that, the most unexpected thing emerges, which is her huge heart, as Chloe is actually a deeply caring person, but in that, she is also very vulnerable. Chloe is very good looking and has never been short of admirers, but in many ways, it is also her handicap, as the simple truth is, most girls within her age group, hate her for being better looking and more popular at school.

Behind the scenes, Chloe has also been bullied a lot more than people realise, and her face of self assurance, is not quite as strong as you would at first expect, as will become clear in later books. The Curio’s, are the first group of girls that have ever treated her as an equal, and within that, she has grown to really care about them, because for the first time in her life, she has female friends, something she never thought would ever happen, and it actually means a great deal to her, and she is fierce in her defence of them, especially Abby.

A strange moment for Chloe and Deb’s

Deb’s in the first book was very shy and naive, but since that summer, she has really come out of her shell, although there is still an innocence to her when it comes to girl things, especially around sexual subjects. Deb’s biggest drawback, is she has always felt isolated and a little lonely, and in many ways, with the addition of Birch at Abby’s side, Deb’s feels it a little more. When it comes to sex, in the last five years, she has more than made up for her lack of experience in book one, and she has lived quite the secret life, especially in Cambridge, where she has been working for the last three years.

With a reunion in mind the story begins, and in true Curio fashion, all of them are young, idealistic, and filled with exuberance, and yes, they feel they will just simply return to normal, and go as wild as they did in book one, which they do. Here the group get to show modern hook up culture and attitudes, and as many older readers will see, it is very different, if not eye opening from the days of their youth. I have no issue showing the generation gap here, and I hope my older readers will take a step back and just think for a moment, as they try to comprehend how much the world has changed. I know from my own youth, things are very different in comparison, and for my time, I was quite the liberated lunatic we see from Birch at times. There is a serious point here, because in the last book, Marjorie really was the villain and the culture clash really showed, but I cannot deny, when I pull off the covers and show the real difference between then and now, I wonder how many will find themselves feeling caught between the two groups?

It is easy to attack Marjorie in the first book, she really is vile towards the girls, but once you see what the girls are capable of, will you sit back and think Madge was right? There is a step up of sexual content in this book, I do try to hold back and write it more from Abby’s thoughts, but at times, a little description is required to paint the picture, and so, it is in the book, or subtly hinted at. I do not write any content, simply for idle titillation, there is a point to all of it, as is revealed either late in the chapter, or in the book, some events will play into other books, which is why it is there, as it is the vehicle towards the group learning a lesson. Will it be a little shocking for people who have not encountered this? Probably, but just read on, and all will be explained later.

Birch responds to Madge

I have stated a few times, within the Curio Chronicles, I take the village and all its inhabitants, and I use them as a tool to hold a mirror up to modern day society. I am lucky, I have had the fortune to be able to talk in great depth with many age groups in the last thirty years of my life, and I have learned a lot about the way society has changed a great deal. The young today are more exposed to adult media than my generation was, and as a result they learn things a lot quicker and earlier than we did.

Is it a problem within society, I feel it is and it isn’t? It concerns me that the young are exposed to this, and yet our education systems appear to be only concerned with certain issues. They do not teach relationship skills adequately in schools, or look at the responsibility that comes with sex. They are very good at teaching abstinence, but with the rise of porn and other explicit media young people are learning from what they watch, and honestly, it leads to behaviours that in many ways shock the older generations, because they can be abusive. It is out there, and it is happening, and this book reflects on some of the danger that comes with it, because our young are not shown how to deal with it maturely.

Deb’s makes a request for good reason.

In today’s modern life, alcohol and a party attitude are where it is at, and whether you want to believe it or not, it happens. Most of the time, nothing really comes of it, but on occasion it can cause chaos, and I portray this from the point of view of young adult women, with their attitude towards life and their relationships, which is surprisingly accurate compared to today and those I have worked with. This kind of attitude and behaviour is reflected all the way from age 18, right up until past 30. Is it damaging? Some of it is, and in that some parents and parts of society are responsible, I have a very liberal and tolerant attitude, but even I feel concerns with how society is taking our young, and educating them.

The young have no education on issues such as empathy, compassion, and especially love. They really do not understand the relationship dynamic and feelings that bond two people together, and to be honest, they are so involved with image presented from aspects such as Social Media, they are too busy living their sexual lives. I am not condemning them, all of us have been there with our infatuations, what I would like to do is present it through the stories in a way that people begin to try and understand how our young have been abandoned by educational systems to fend for themselves, and learn the hard way.

Within the Curio group, I have placed Birch central, as she has grown up mainly with adults around her, and so even though she can appear unstable at times, she actually is a very well educated woman, who brings a dynamic of responsibility to the group. In this scenario, I also have Edwina, who is far more mature than the other girls, but she spends most of her days interacting with business people, and so has matured a lot faster. I have Chloe, who can be childish and is not very academic, but she is very street wise. Deb’s is maturing faster than Abby and Chloe, and is very grounded in her sense of loyalty and family. Last of all there is Abby, a very intelligent girl, who has retained a lot of her innocence, and yet due to the way she was raised, suffers from self doubt, and really finds it hard to truly trust her feelings or others. Anthony is a very business driven, and much more mature because of it, but he has suffered more than any, and understands the world in ways others never will, and within that, he has a lot of inner insecurity and loneliness.

It is a fascinating group dynamic, that leads to wild chaos, and yes is a great vehicle for humour, and within that, I do not hold back, unlike many outlets, I do not agree with so called modern censorship, and believe if presented properly, humour can be applied to any situation, as was seen in HTTK where in the midst of battle, the Specialist found that making a joke, lifted their spirits and got them through the tough times. Maybe it is a British thing, we do have a reputation for making fun of ourselves as well as others, and we do like to chuckle at the expense of others at times. Like all things with my writing, within the humour there is always a message that makes a serious point, and I do try to show it as clearly as possible, and in that, I have the best vehicle with the Curio’s. The conversations between Abby and Birch when they are alone, are a very important parts of the books, for it there that Abby’s understanding gains the most, and she learns so much to help her navigate life.

Abby’s background is the most important aspect of her in this group, and in a way, she is caught between two very differing philosophies. Abby has the very strict conservative views of her father, with his ruthless discipline, and that of Birch and her open liberated modern ways, and that causes a clash, and an inner crisis for Abby. In many ways she is caught between two fires, one that was beaten into her, and one of a yearning to be free and really understand who she actually is a human being. It does cause an inner turmoil for her, and just like her mother, at times she goes against her gut feelings, and finds herself in the midst of chaos, and heartbreak. It is a wonderful balancing act, and actually for myself one of the best parts of writing this book, and I do wonder as the book comes out, how many will pick up on her creeping self doubt, as she tries to really understand herself?

Like all things I write, there is much more, and within that, you must consider the grownups. Harriet is still living life on her own terms and giving out great advice to both Abby and Flick, although she is not as present in this book as she is in the first, and of that you will find out why. Edwin and Felicity are still together, and yet within that, there is more than meets the eye. This book shows some of the parallels of Felicity’s life repeated in Abby’s, and through that you draw a greater understanding of Felicity and the life she had before Edwin. Felicity still has much to learn about herself, and with Abby and Birch as examples, she starts to see herself very differently.

Roni and William bob in and out throughout the story to offer wisdom and insight, and yes, somewhere lurking is Bev. (Guard your Vagina!) As Bev matures a little more, and stretches her wings beyond the borders of Uppermill. Marjorie and her cronies are still very much alive and well, and spreading their vile thoughts across the village, and there have been a few changes to some of the background characters. Marion is back, and she is going through her own changes in life, as the story steps up another level, as some of the behind scene’s dealings by Marjorie surprise even her. As always, Lillian and Celia, the oldest perverts in the village are around for Birch to flirt with, as Lillian becomes over excited and fans herself with anything at hand, to cool her wild and naughty thoughts. There is a new central character, in the form of Isabel Johnson, who comes down from Manchester to bring her northern expertise to the frame, but I will leave that for all of you to discover within the pages of the book.

Abby is in awe of Izzy.

It is a good fast story with a lot of inuendo, and I feel a good pace, with some wonderful humour, as the book heads towards yet another climactic end in true Curio style. I am delighted with the response to the first book, it has been received very well indeed, and I am hoping this addition to the series will enhance the first book more. If you really do enjoy it and find it a fun illuminating read, please, tell your friends and encourage them to read it, I still have a long way to go before I am truly recognised for my work. Hit the like buttons on posts, write a revue, and comment about your enjoyment, they all add up to spreading the word, and I really would love more people of all generations to pick up the books and read them.

It is available in digital from all book app platforms, and also in print from good book retailers online or otherwise. The books are print on demand, and can be ordered from anywhere. Once again, I thank all of you who have read this, and I am already at work on other projects, one of which is Curio three, as well as a little more to add to HTTK, and other things completely unrelated to anything I have written so far.

Thanks for all the support, it really does make a huge difference to my writing life.

RJM.

A Look into Summer

Shortly the second book in the Curio Chronicles series, titled, Curio’s Summer will become available to purchase, and so before all of you have the chance to grab a copy, I want to provide a little more insight, to where I was at when putting this series together. It feels strange, as this book was written in November 2020, so it was some time ago, and I am now working on other stories unrelated to anything I have written before.

Like all things I write, I like to present something that feels real and believable, and for myself as the author, I wanted the readers to really understand the character of Abigail. The first book, Abigail’s Summer gives a reasonable understanding of some of the events of the past, which accounts for some of the behaviours she exhibits in the book.

The second book in the series will to a degree pickup on some of the themes of the first, but it will also open up more aspects of Abigail who is still caught in the process of growing up and coming to terms with her own life choices. It is important to understand, that it is her relationship with her parents alone in Wotton growing up, that have shaped the person she is, and with the addition of Birch in her life, Abigail starts to learn why she reacts a certain way to certain things, and makes deliberate choices to change the narrative of her life.

In the first book, the bullying and shaming by Marjorie and the village are a powerful negative in Abigail’s life, and they do have a serious impact on her and her reactions to how she deals with things, but in the second book, it becomes clear, that the impact of her young life at home before Uni, has also played a much bigger role in how she reacts, and certainly in her ability to trust people. The damage of Edwin and his controlling manner, appears a lot more as she ages in her behaviour, as it fuels her self doubt, and even though she has worked hard to repair her relationship with her mother, it is Edwin’s treatment of Felicity, that has shaped a great deal more of Abigail, than she would at first realise, especially in regard to her friendships and relationships.

It is five years on from the first book, and the most prominent sign of Abby’s abusively strict childhood is her inability to accept her true feelings, as she overthinks and doubts the truth of who she is, and what she truly feels. In Abby’s own words, she has pretty much lived most of her life on edge, with her “Shields Up.” This is surprisingly more common in life than you would realise, and is one of the many effects of being bullied and shamed in earlier life, which does not appear that obvious to those around her, but it is there, hiding, and secretly working away inside her.

The Curio’s are scattered, and life is changing, the young idealism of their teenage Uni and college years, is wearing thin, as life becomes real, and harsh, and all of the Curio’s have to face it and deal with it, which alone is not an easy proposal. When the book starts, Abby is isolated and alone and not coping well, as she hides herself away, Edwina is working herself to death on the road. Deb’s is working in another part of the country and feels lonely, Chloe is struggling to stay afloat in a run down flat, with a poorly paid job, and Birch who has now qualified, is trying to prove her worth to her mother within the practice, in Manchester. The only one who appears to be anywhere near stable and adjusting, is Anthony, who has expanded his staff, but also has Delphine at his side to guide him.

The story of Abigail was always meant to chart the changes everyone faces in life, and how over time attitudes and beliefs can slowly change. The books are written at a good pace with a lot of tongue in cheek humour, and in such a way that highlights the differences between certain generations and their lack of understanding of each other. One of the best points of the first book, was actually how many people enjoyed reading it, I cannot deny, it was surprising, and yet delightful to see. I will offer at least one spoiler alert for the second book, which is, yep, the story is going to up the ante a little more.

Curio’s Summer is wilder, and just like all twenty four and twenty five years olds, there is a lot of crazy, wild naughty behaviour to come before the hormones start to settle into a more stable state, so get ready for the ride of a lifetime. Everything is written for very good reason, and there will be a few moments of gasps of surprise, but stick with it, as the answers will follow on later in the story.

The second book is going to take a good look at sexual behaviour and attitudes, language, and the choices we make as young adults, and all whilst shattering the attitudes of their former nineteen year old selves. In the first book, returning to Wotton felt like an uphill battle, in the second book, it will become all out war, as the group fight for acceptance, and face the unseen odds of Marjorie’s true vile and dark loathing of them as a group. The gloves are well and truly coming off, and it is within the confines of this aspect of the story, that the only support that the Curio’s have, is each other.

The bond between them, becomes their strength, and their only means of survival, and it is within the uniqueness of each of them, that they all provide a vital role to each other. It is here in this story, as their lives play out, that because the story of the group has now been established, I have had the space to really bring the full nature of each of these characters out, and what I am hoping with this book, is for you all to see, how it is within their normal everyday life, that each of them serves a role within the group, as their bonds grow even deeper.

I feel it is here within this aspect of the story, begins the start of something which over the series with show a subtle, and yet very powerful and beautiful story of care, compassion and deep love. Once again, I hold a mirror up to society, and show the ugly truth of what society has become, and yet within its core, there is a tremendous beauty to be found, within friendship, and support. Once again it is all girl’s together, to stand, to fight, or fall together, and within it all, Felicity, Hatty, and the villagers of Wotton will be dragged in to see the injustice within society, and learn not just about others, but also deep parts of themselves.

This book will chart the real depth of Birch and Abby, as the true power of their bond that started at Uni is revealed. In book one Roni talks of how Birch has formed a powerful bond with Abby that will last for a lifetime, and it is within this book, the real truth of Birch is revealed, and just how much Abby means to her, and the lengths she goes to, to show it. Like everything Birch does, there is a crazy insane logic to it, which was seen in book one, but Curio’s Summer really sets the bench mark for the rest of the series to flourish.

As with most things Abby, her sporadic anxiety attacks, moments of sheer panic, and chronic overthinking hamper her vision, and yet through this book, and Abby’s reaction to everything, especially her self doubt, you will start to understand a younger Felicity, and how she made that fateful mistake that led her to marrying Edwin, and how that ultimately defeated her, and brought heartache and pain into her life as the struggling, cleaning obsessed, unhappy person she was in book one. Abby strays dangerously close to repeating her mothers’ mistakes, with disastrous effect, and Abby has to look to Hatty and Birch for guidance, as she faces the same bitter choice.

With Birch as leader, and with the Curio’s united behind her, this story is littered with the wild antics, insane and out of control moments, of the life of a free, opened minded and liberated group of young women, hell bent on living life to the full, which has some very eye opening moments for Abby, as she finds herself asking herself, ‘did I really just do that?’ This is where Abby is forced to grow up, and take some responsibility for her own life and actions, as she truly breaks free of her parents, and takes full control of her own life, and for her, at times, it is shocking as she admits truths about herself, she has always played down.

Curio’s Summer highlights a lot of the joys of the young, especially some of their sexual ideas, but also some of the game playing, drama, exploitation and treatment of their peers, and the older generations. It highlights the differences between upbringing, and attitudes within the confines of a group, who share such differing lifestyles, from a rough council estate, to the well to do suburbs of the rich. This contradicting mix, will show how it plays on the insecurity of the young, but also highlights that when pushed, they can step up to the plate and be reckoned with.

I am sure yet again there will be a few raised eyebrows, and a challenge or two for some readers, as it shines a bright light on modern youth culture, and the entrenched views of the older generations. It is my hope it provides as much enjoyment as the first book, if not more, and as a series gains more recognition amongst a wider readership, but as with everything I write, I will sit back and watch.

Curio’s Summer, the second part of the Curio Chronicles will be available to purchase shortly. 

Naturally Curious

The Curio Chronicles, was written to be funny fast, and a little bit shocking, and with the second book in production which will be titled ‘Curio’s Summer’ due for release this year, I thought I would take a step back, and look at one of the most important aspects of this series of stories.

Before I begin, I will add, that the whole series is based on the life of Abigail Watson, and the friendships she forms with her peers in the first book, Abigail’s Summer. In the first book, she is nineteen years old, and when she arrives in the second book, the story will have leapt five years forward, and will see her enter at age twenty four.

Curio's Summer. (The Curio Chronicles) By Robin John Morgan.

This series charts the growing years from youth into adulthood, and the trends and changes all of us go through as we mature, and like most young people, Abby focuses on image, sex, and love, and it is in this particular area of the story that I hold up a mirror to society, and allow you inside the private aspects of her life. Life changes, and so do we, and as Abby grows up, her choices and tastes subtly change, as what was considered to be wild challenging behaviour, for her at nineteen becomes normalised, and shapes her view of the world.

That story will play out in the books, this particular blog post, is focused on another aspect of the story, and is driven at first, not so much by Abigail, but by her best friend Birch. The focus of this aspect of the blog, is not the sex, booze or parties, it is the very natural state, of being naked.

In all of the books, the act of walking around in daily life, sans clothing, and enjoying the connection of all aspects of life, is a normalised part of living around the Curio group, and it is deliberate in this story, and I may add, a very important part of the story. To Birch, it is not an issue, she is quite open and very matter of fact about it, which at first is startling for Abby. Birch has no interest in other people’s views, to her the human form is not a thing of shame, and she really does not care what others think about it, which in today’s society is a very challenging message.

Birch will argue that to undress, to then put clothing back on to swim, is pointless, and foolish. “Why lie around in a cold wet bathing suit shivering?” She asks. For her that is stupidity, when the body dries faster and warms up quicker, lay on a lounger at the side of the pool. In the first book, she happily walks naked out of the house onto the street with her mother to say goodbye, and stands waving, much to the shock and horror of Gwenda Perkins across the road, who immediately rings Marjorie, to tell her the horrifying details, of the ‘Brazen Hussy.’

Even Abby who is naked, is hiding behind the door shouting to her that she has no clothes on, and needs to get back in the house quick, of which Birch has no understanding of the urgency. For her, the natural body, is simply that, a body, just like everyone else’s. her argument is, “We are born naked, and die naked, and everything in between is up to us, and I will not be ashamed of the form I was born in.”

To Birch, the human form should not be shamed, it is the one thing we have little choice over, and she admits, she has ‘great tits and a killer ass,’ why should she be embarrassed of being looked at, she thinks it is worth looking at, and what at first appears like an innocent joke in the plot of the book, actually becomes a powerful message to all the readers, which is, ‘why are we so ashamed of our body, it is who we are as a person?’

It is a very powerful statement, but within the folds of the story, it becomes completely normalised, to such an extent that by the end of the first book, the whole group swims naked, dry’s off and sits in Abby’s guest house, and spend the night all naked, chatting, and having drinks together. For the group, it is not sexual, it is comfort, freedom, and body confidence, and a very normal and natural thing to do. This is reinforced by Hatty, an artist who sees great beauty in all naked bodies, which is why she paints them.

Abigail's Summer. (The Curio Chronicles) By Robin John Morgan
Abigail’s Summer by Robin John Morgan

In today’s society, most people reading this would gasp, and make statements such as, “I could never do that,” or “have they no shame?” That is the very point the book makes, and raises the question, “Why is it shameful?”

Abby makes the point to Mary in the post office when she enquires about Birch’s lack of remorse when she told Marjorie she was a naturist. “We spend a lot of time naked; it is good for the body you know, and is wonderful for the mind and inner happiness.” She then adds, “we are all born naked, why would anyone be ashamed of that?” Mary who is a secret naturist, afraid of being shammed, is actually really impressed, and responds. “I think you have a very positive attitude, Abigail; I must admit, I admire your confidence.”

It is an important and powerful message to give out, and it is there in the book for a reason, and is a direct dig at today’s so-called socially acceptable culture.

So, let’s look at why we have been raised to believe that our own personal human form is shocking and shameful. Today we live in a world that has firstly been shaped by religion, the whole foundations of modern civilised society have been moulded around firstly Christianity, and then in more modern times by other religious beliefs, so where does this come from?

Now I have no interest in other people’s spiritual or religious beliefs, I have my own thoughts on my personal spirituality, and I believe them to be private, and personal, so I have no issues with what anyone else chooses to follow. The facts are evident, and that is my sole focus here, simply the facts. So, looking back through time to those few hundred years after the death of Christ, it is a known fact, that Rome was suffering under the popular supporters of Mithra, a pagan deity, and the senate was losing ground. Mithra supporters were celebrating on mass, which involved all aspects of humanity, and a lot of nudity and feasting, in common terms, supporting Mithra led to a lot of orgies and parties, it was a pretty fun experience, what was not to like about going to that church, lol?

The senate embraced and encouraged the rise of Christianity, because as has been documented, ‘it was more about controlled worship.’ Now again, I have no judgement on that, but it is a fact, that it was embraced, solely to control the popular masses. It is also interesting that it was Christianity that also played a major role in the fall of Rome, so go figure. I digress, the rise of the Christian church, played a massive role in what we now consider the civilised world, my vote is still out on civilised, but that is an argument for another day. The church used shame as it’s deadliest weapon for many hundreds of years, as is seen in many of the very puritanical offshoots of Christianity.

A lot of the rules and laws of the land were based on the teachings of the church, who were influencial, and are a major factor in the creation of what we now call the Western Civilised World. It is important to understand that opinion has been shaped and established through a religion that was focused on control, and even though religion has fallen in numbers in recent decades, it has still been a major influence of conservative attitudes. I cannot deny, I do love the irony, of the fact the first two people created by God, Adam and Eve, were both naked vegetarians living in a garden, not unsimilar to the Curio’s.

Now again, I have no interest in the politics of religion, but it does appear to me, that God’s intention through Adam and Eve was a race who were naked, and not ashamed of their naked bodies. I cannot help but pose the question, why has the church deviated from that, and shamed humanity? I get the whole apple and sin argument, but again, have to ask, if we have been forgiven all of our sins through the death of Christ, why is nudity still shamed, when it was God’ initial intention?

Coming Soon Curio's Summer, by Robin John Morgan
Coming Spring 2022

That was the first phase, and now we have the second, capitalism and the free market economy. I actually think this aspect of modern life, is far more corrosive, as it does a few things I am unhappy about. Greed for money, has become the real virus of society, and I do not say that lightly, but it is true. Yes, we all need to live, and as you have probably noticed, you have to pay through the nose to have that basic human right in a Western democracy.

The most corrosive aspect of capitalism, is Media, it is the tool of the elite, and oh boy is it powerful? Advertising and data mining are now the biggest collectors and shapers of public opinion on the planet, and both have one goal, feed the rich. I have a particular distaste for shareholders, I, like Birch, see them as the scourge of society, they are viler than tax collectors, because all they care about is money, and they have no scruples as to how it comes in, just as long as it does. Shareholders want profit, and they wield a great deal of power, and so under their direction, pressure is applied to make more cash.

They shape media, Mainstream and Social to their view of the world, and like religion, they demand compliance and control, they literally write the narrative, and Birch despises them. The main vehicle for these controllers of society, is advertising and shame, which when linked with the lingering attitudes of religion, can serve a fatal blow to all of us, and it does, in more ways than we realise, Birch points out the immorality of it in the second book.

Everyday women especially, but men are catching up, are bombarded with signals from every angle, millions of them, and they are subtle, cruel, and divisive. Articles, adverts, the structure of TV shows, and even some more modern video games target our weaknesses, which is namely, our body, our looks, and how we live.

We are told, your hair is not right, use this, don’t allow yourself to be fat, when you can use this special new and improved wonder diet. Wear this new designer labelled clothing and hide your shame, you are too ugly, use this makeup, and it goes on and on and one, in a never ending stream of paid for personal attacks and insults, all packaged in a nice sophisticated way, from school age until the coffin, and I often say to my kids. “Stop listening to them, they are paid for lies!”

Social media banned female nipples, have you ever heard of such a stupid rule? Men’s nipples are fine, I could post a whole stream of my endless nipples, and not get banned, yet, if I posted a picture of my wife’s nipple, I would get banned, as it is ‘SEXUAL’ No it’s not, its natural, and I would add normal, every single human being has them, so why do we only sexualise one kind, and not the other? I mean come on, there is not a huge difference in the look, it is the function that is the main difference.

At this point I will ask, how is using a part of the human body to feed a child sexual? The simple answer is it is not, and yet, it is banned. I often wonder why women’s movements are not outraged and up in arms about this, after all, Twitter is filled with women who are screaming about how women’s nipples are sexualised by men. Okay so let me ask this, why are men’s nipples not sexualised? The truth is, they are not, because we have all been desensitised to them, but how? Well, we put them on show and everyone got sick of looking at them. It may surprise you to find, that at one time, it was illegal for men to be topless, and men did not agree, so they rallied on a beach in the USA, took off their tops and defied the law, and got arrested.

It caused such an outcry, that men all over America rallied around and demanded change, and they flocked on mass to the beach, and defied the law and went topless, and a few years later, the law was changed, and now it is a common sight to see a man without his top. Feminists should be outraged by that, and demand equality, and attack social media for being discriminate, and yet they do not.

The bra industry earns, seventeen trillion dollars a year, exploiting woman. Science has proven beyond doubt, that wearing a bra does not keep the boobs firm, it actually weakens the tissue and muscles under the breast, so they flop and grow saggy over time, and yet billions of women every day, believe the lies and suffer wearing one. Why are women not fighting back for their rights to be braless, as the teens of my 1960s 70s youth did? Once again, I ask, why are women so afraid of showing the outline of a nipple through clothing? They wear pants, which shows the outline of a bum, and yet that is not an issue. I have to pose the question, why are women allowing a part of their natural form to be shammed?

Whether you like it or not, your body is not and should not be shamed for money or opinion. Today our teens are getting reconstructive surgeries, to change aspects of their bodies, and more and more teens are suffering from body dysmorphia leading to eating disorders. Kids struggle with their weight, because junk food is cheaper than healthier food, but filled with a long list of additives and preservatives, that poison their systems. A salad is literally more expensive than a burger, and modern advertisers lie to them in order to get all of their money with slogans like, ‘I’m lovin it.’ Yeah, the shareholders are, they are rolling in cash. When you work out that a fast food fry has over twenty two ingredients in it, you have to step back in shock, and ask why, it is a potato that has been fried?

Why are schools and parents, not educating their children better, and pointing out the serious implications of their behaviour? Why are we not telling our kids to understand their bodies without shame, and take better care of them? Instead of educating them, they encourage them, and it has become and endless cycle of bad habits from generation to generation, all happily complying with the endless rhetoric of their master manipulators, who run social and mainstream media at the expense of their children’s mental and physical well being. 

Curio's Summer. (The Curio Chronicles 2) By Robin John Morgan.
Curio’s Summer by Robin John Morgan

Take a really good look at Social Media, which has a massive influence on our young. I look at what my kids are seeing, which is usually driven by young twenty to twenty five year olds, known as ‘Influencers.’ I want to punch all of the self entitled little shits in the face. Their narrow minded, and blinkered view of the world, is corrosive and damaging to the minds of our young. Why are we letting these uneducated idiots educate our children with sponsored video’s? I constantly hear, the young are the future, and it scares the hell out of me, because if you watch them, you can see how sponsors are placing products in all of their videos and posts. These kids get rich, at the expense of all of ours, by violating their minds, and adding to the self loathing our children feel about their bodies. When will this stop?

If you have kids, take some time out and seriously look at the drivel they watch. Look like this, do that, you need this are the messages, and every one of them drives body dysmorphia to an epidemic level, no wonder our kids are depressed? They will never have that look, or fit into the one size fits all box, or attain that beauty. The reason why, is simple, it is fake, photo shopped and unrealistic, so what do they do, they offer filters to improve your looks on photo’s driving the ‘you’re not pretty enough message home,’ which is destroying our children’s self confidence, and all with a subliminal caption of, ‘look how pretty and acceptable you are now.’ The thought of nudity, terrifies these influencers, who have been groomed for their roles by social media policies.

The irony here, is they call it social media, and it is not, it is advertising media, and nudity is their kryptonite. Look at it this way, if you actually love your body and are not ashamed by it, advertisers have less influence over you, and so you will not click their links to their products, and that is why nipples or any form of nudity are banned. Oh yeah, they talk about the children being harmed, but that is a smoke screen, the real truth is, they want full control to sell products, and they pray on insecurity. How else does a free platform make billions a year… Advertising, by praying on your weakness, and making you ashamed of who you are, that is how.

They drive unrealistic expectations and body hatred, and we sit back and wonder why half our kids are narcissists and the other half are manically depressed? It is immoral, disgraceful, and offensive, and they should be imprisoned for the damage they have done to society, but sadly they won’t be, because their lobbyists will continue to throw cash at governments, and they will never get shut down, it is a slap to the face of all humanity. We all should ask, when will this end and how do we stop it? I would suggest, one body positive person at a time.

The cure is simple, Birch shows you the way. Screw what others think, love your body, embrace it, strip off the layers of those who would enslave you with their lies and shaming, and own who you are. Do not hide your body, accept it, worship it, love it, and embrace it, most importantly, own it, and show the real value of the person you are. The greatest thing about being naked, is it is impossible to hide who you really are, people get to see the true you, the real you, not the fake you that hides behind designer clothing and makeup. Stop letting the world tell you to be ashamed of yourself, and pay through the nose for a cure that will never work. Cherish what you came into world wearing, because contrary to popular opinion, your body is not shameful, it is beautiful.

Listen to Birch and the Curio’s, and for the first time in your life, embrace your real truth, your only truth, and love the body you wear. Nature is exactly that, it is natural, and whether you want to believe it or not, you are a natural being, and your skin, is your natural clothing. Try resisting all the latest trends, and avoid wasting money on all those products they tell you that you need for one month, walk round the house naked and feel the power of seeing your own reflection, and see how better you feel, and how much money you save.

In order to write the Curio stories, I spent a lot of time, talking and listening to Naturists, as they explained their concept of the life that they lived. It was fascinating, and I very quickly understood, that they were just normal people, from every walk of life. The main difference that I found, was that they came across as being kinder, more open minded, and certainly more accepting and welcoming than most of the dressed people I meet in life. Their age groups varied from young to old, and I learned a great deal about simply being a normal human being. I know weird right? The truth be told, I found their company friendlier and more inviting than dressed people, they were certainly more in tune with the world, and very respectful.

It impressed me to hear, how naturisum is actually pretty normal, and when you consider the point, naked is actually our natural state. I can certainly say, I find the media and capitalist approach to life with its shame and ridiculed filled advertising a lot less natural, and not at all beneficial to the human race, and maybe in that, Birch has a point?

Get on the internet, and get off social media, and read up on the health benefits of being naked, and you will find a whole range of mass benefits from mental health, to physical health. It calms the mood, and you sleep so much better, and if you actually think about it, it is the most normal aspect of all of us, it is not sexual, it is who you are.

Surely it is time, to start to beat social media and the mainstream at their own game, by educating our children, that our natural human form is not shameful, and is not sexual? We need to step up to the plate before another generation suffers the cruel effects of our world, and its attack on our private personal selves. Children who are taught to accept themselves, are better more rounded individuals in life, and a part of that, is understanding their natural body, is their own private and completely unique form, and no one has the right to tell them different and shame them for it.

The Curio Chronicles was always about a tongue in cheek approach to looking at life through the lens of a wide focus, unlike the narrow focus applied to social so called norms. Yes the books are sexually suggestive, but why is that wrong, and why is that shamed, when again it is a very important aspect of everybody’s life, as is nudity? After all, we never shower with our clothing on, and if you think about it, we always feel wonderful after a shower?

In book one, Roni states during her speech those four words of control. ‘What will People Say?’ That is the moment the self worth dies and the shame begins, and it is up to all of us, to follow her next piece of advice. ‘Does It Really Matter?’

Be curious, and be you.

Curio’s Summer, the second part of the Curio Chronicles series, will be available in spring 2022.

The Curio Chronicles part one Abigail’s Summer by Robin John Morgan, is available in Digital and Print format from all online sources and apps.