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Shame, Shame, Shame!

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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

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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

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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. 

The Absolute Power of HTTK.

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I got asked recently, what can be learned from HTTK, and I responded, take a look at the world, and then read the whole series again. Enjoy it, get to know the characters and understand them, and then when you do, consider how much you have in common with them.

Take into account, Kingdom began as an idea in the 1980’s, and I really began to write it in 2006. Honestly, since the writing started, it has become more relevant in my thoughts, as I watch the world today.

Kingdom is written from the point of view of those being oppressed, as they fight their way to freedom. There is a great deal of effort in the writing that places the focus on understanding the freedom and joy all the principal characters share. There is a reason it took 14 years to write the eight books, as they do take a long hard look at the life of mankind. The book is focused on two main characters and their friends, as they take for granted what is all around them. I highlight the success of Lox farm, and its abundance, it is to a degree an idyllic place, of friendship and community, where the goal is almost a utopian ideal of what every reader would want in their own life, which could be why so many readers have identified with the series.

Book one is almost a merry jaunt as the group set off to discover the root of all the evil that is attempting to take all of their abundance away, and in many ways, it does not appear to be that sinister a book. I would say it appears as quite innocent, and yet I would also argue, that when you look past the joy, and the developing love story of Robbie and Runestone, there is a dark sinister presence simmering in the background.

It is easy to miss the most obvious aspect of the Bowman of Loxley, because it is subtle, but if you take a step back, and consider it for a moment, suddenly it is not quite the picturesque picture you first thought it was. I would argue, that there is a very significant warning to be taken from that first innocent feeling book, so let me elaborate.

Early in the book, two things occur that are very important, the first is, that the young Dirk, goes out to hunt for food for his family in a remote and isolated part of middle England. His family have chosen to be isolated, and stay well away from all other communities who are banding together to try and survive, and yet his father chose to hide away, separate from everyone, why?. On Dirks return, his mother, father and little sister, have been brutally murdered and their house burned to the ground. In his heartbreak, he is visited by Opal, who tells him to hide his identity, and take aid in the form of a sword to aide Loxley, and she renames him Rowan of the Woods, why?

Secondly, Rowan is a robust tree, known for its strength and resilience, two qualities needed to resist oppression, it is a very important symbol, and one I may add that made everyone assume he would one day be the leader of the country as a king. Rowan, becomes a vital part of the resistance in later books, at our hero’s side.

The next thing we learn, is that one man, rises out of the destruction, and builds a wall to seal off a part of the nation. He is a hero to his people, who has saved them from a deadly virus… a life-threatening catastrophe, hmm, sound familiar? Out of nowhere, he declares himself by birth right, to be ruler of the land, and he despatches out a ruthless and merciless unit of, for want of a better word, ‘murderers’ to attack and frighten all the survivors. These men are the Cutter Brigade, and they lead by using fear, that sounds familiar too. They rape and kill and take all of the supplies, which are sent back to Cornwall, where the supreme ruler is based. A leader taking all the best for his own needs, with no regard for the people, yep, sounds about right to me.

The man is Mason Knox, a historian of the old world. There is no coincidence he has a past as a history lecturer, it is how he understands dominance, and why he is so organised. Mason means wall, a worker of stone, Knox means vault, think about that for a second. Walls are a symbol of strength, and a vault symbolises wealth, combine money and strength, and you have a recipe for supreme power. If you want an example, look to any dictator of the historical past, they hide in their dwellings behind high walls and security, country’s hide behind walls such as China did, and there is no greater example than the Berlin wall, something that is a stark memory from my youth.

The Cutters are spread far and wide, so much so, they reach the north of England and Robbie come across a small raiding party at Joe’s cabin. Later in the book as the group journey away on a mission to produce the evidence to prove Mason is an illegitimate heir to the throne, they enter a village which has been attacked and devastated by Cutters just north of Loxley. Mason is already trying to surround the town of Loxley. It is a huge surprise for Robbie and Rowan, who question, how did Mason get so far undetected? It is an important question, and one you should ask yourself.

At the Abbey, even further north, a large army is spotted quietly building up strength, and as the group skirt back south, they end up in a small town which is run by organised Marshals, who are confiscating weapons. It is subtle, but look carefully, they are in a town that is organised and operating without any resistance to the Marshals, if anything, they have embraced them for their own security. The path of least resistance does appear right at the time, but it is a dangerous path to walk.

At this point there is a very real plan of action being revealed from Mason Knox, who I deliberately kept out of the book until he was revealed in person at the end. The whole premise of the Bowman of Loxley, was to show the slow subtle build up of Mason’s power, and hope that people would notice a very familiar pattern from the past. Look to the past, and learn for the future, is a line and theme that run through this book, and all the others, and it is not there by chance. It is possibly the most important message of all the books, and a very real warning about allowing others to change our historical concepts of history. In using this line, it does also highlight the very real danger in Mason’s action plan, I would say to be specific, look to Germany 1933.

Okay, so let’s take a moment to understand the plan so far. A self appointed dictator who desires supreme power. A fear driven private military force acting under his personal instruction, and control. The confiscation of weapons from the population, under the guise of protection from the newly imposed state, secret groups attacking at random places whilst slowly building up around its enemy, and a secret police force, in a town that has been compliant and simply accepted their authority without speaking out.

So, so far so good, we have the making of a totalitarian regime by subtle means, and now for the big hint. A rider arrives at Lolxey’s gates demanding entry on the orders of ‘The Duke of Cornwall, and newly elected Governor of England.’ There it is, Mason now sees himself as being completely in control, and all of you have to now do as you are told. It is John Lox who points our the obvious, when he states, “Newly elected, I didn’t vote for him.” Well no, that sort of democracy has gone forever, you now have to blindly obey. If you do not, well that comes at the end of the book, you will be surrounded by an army, and wiped out. There is no coincidence that Loxley and York, the two most organised places had an army on their doorstep, they were in the way, and could foil Mason’s plans, so like every dictator from the past, he was going to silence them, and remove them forever.

Boom! There it is right in your face, no one elected him, he is a self imposed leader, and as you follow the story, you get to see the full power of Mason as he reveals his armies at Tintagel and his weapons creation at Weston Super-mare, and his attempts to quash Caerleon. The end of the book shows the full power of Mason as he finally appears in the book, and tries to take the crown and become supreme ruler of England and all its realms, as the fascist dictator he is.

The simple point is HTTK is written in such a way, you have to look for it, and it is all there in the background quietly building away and actually revealing far more than you would at first realise. Jump to book two, The Lost Sword of Carnac, and yep, it just gets better.

Let’s start with the surrounding area of Canterbury. In an act of temper, Mason labels certain types of people, and sends in his Cutters to destroy them. These people are in no way affiliated to Robbie, and yet Mason labels them, Leaf Lovers, Wood Choppers, and he brutally murders them on mass. Sound familiar? Sadly, this is not fantasy, it happens in our modern world, it is not always as extreme and results in death, but it goes on every day, we just choose to ignore it.

A certain section of society is seen as inferior, and as taking up space, and so they are wiped out completely, look to the past? How may regimes since 1945 have seen their own people wiped out by fascist dictators under the guise of their creed, culture, or religion? A section of their own society is labelled by its government as unfit, and then slaughtered and labelled as inferior, second class, unworthy of the same rights.

Think this is a fantasy, look back at the UK, we may not have wiped them out, but it happens. Back in the seventies, it was the hippies, and the drop outs who had no rights, and were targeted as unfit by the government. Margret Thatcher’s government labelled and stigmatised single parents. Under Tony Blair’s government anyone opposing immigration was a white supremacist or racist. When David Cameron was in power, it was the unemployed, and today with Boris Johnson’ it has recently been the un-vaxxed. It happens every day and we all choose to ignore it, or go happily along with it as the media backs up the government narrative. It is subtle, but it happens, and all it takes is one man to make a stand and seize power, and suddenly, a whole section of society that may even have once been a hero to the people, becomes the enemy, and has to be silenced and beaten into submission. You think this is fantasy, try being a peaceful trucker in a certain part of the world at the moment?

Heirs to the Kingdom may feel like an innocent romp through the woodlands with a bad man after you, but it is a very subtle warning about absolute power. I know, I was facing a localised one when I first began to write this series, and it is really frightening to face alone, or with a few dedicated friends.

The second book reveals the rest of the plan of Mason, with enforced labour camps, where you own nothing, but will be happy. Orphanages that force women into birth to breed a population, rows and rows and grey dull dwellings, suppression of decent, and endless slaughter of those who resist. It is all there, and the most frightening thing about this, is in this modern world of today, it has, and is still happening. Do you think slavery has been abolished? Try looking towards the middle east, open your eyes and it is there right in front of you. One global power, or one person who feels entitled to dominate are always there, and not always who you think, it is the curse of man, and the lessons we refuse to learn from our past.

Book three creates monsters from experimentation, drugs are used to enhance human abilities, and the race for more modern weapons to outsmart the enemy is always on the forefront, as the power and dominance grows as fast as the slavery, as people are controlled with fear to do the bidding of their self imposed masters. Heirs to the Kingdom is a dystopian series, but it hits a hell of a lot closer to home than many have realised.

So how do we win, well we fight, okay, so what with?

There is no coincidence that the swords of power are named such. Truth, Justice, Knowledge, Courage, Honour. These are the ingredients of ‘Democracy, and Freedom.’ They are cherished as they allow for freedom of thought, and the freedom to speak, and through the union of these ideals, we create a world that is fair to all, and that is the message to all the readers of HTTK. Take these qualities into your heart and into your life, and if you do so, they will unite in one union with others, and that my friends, is ‘Destiny.’

The modern world today is not quite as black and white as it first appears, and I would say, that we are all stood on the edge of a woodland glade watching, surrounded by those we love, but Mason is out there, and he is not alone. Behind the scenes he is at work, and it is as clear as day if you open your eyes fully, and stop blindly obeying everything you are told.

You will never get the truth from social media, you will never be able to fully trust the legacy media, they are driven by a controlled system of subtle people of power. Just because everyone else believes it to be true, does not mean it is. At times like this, like Robbie and Runestone, we have to stand alone and take a step back, and look with the eyes of destiny, because if you blink and lose focus, we all will end up in a world ruled by the likes of Mason. The human race stands on the edge, and it is the task of all of us to pay attention, and stop blindly following with our virtue signalling and politically correct adherence. Just because everyone else is doing it, does not make it moral or right.

Be a leaf lover, embrace the role of woodsmen, and fight those who are bringers of stone.

Absolute power, is far more corrosive than rust. Never forget that.

Heirs to the Kingdom by Robin John Morgan, is available in Digital and Print formats from all leading online retailers of books and apps.

Curiosity Gagged the Cat

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Rise of the Raven is out, and I am seeing a repeat of Abigail’s Summer with changing time lines for delivery, with the big company who rules books etc.. It is probably a good job there is a digital version, whilst sat waiting for that small brown package!

It is not easy being a writer these days, it appears everywhere I look that terrible restriction on what can or cannot be said is looming up. It appears that being honest about life is fine, as long as it is a certain kind of life, some parts of life, are simply not to be mentioned. If they are, well, kiss goodbye to your platform that hosts you.

I am finding that writing is somewhat like village life, certain people can say what they like, and others are not allowed to say anything, and yet are having to have all the dung thrown at them and have to endure it. It has become a mine field where you have to be careful where you step.

Apparently, these days certain large companies appear to wield the mightiest axe, and wield all the control, as they define morality, and for a writer who is trying to get their thoughts and observations out there, as they write them into their stories, it feels at times, like one step forward ten steps back. Hmm, didn’t a guy called George write something about that?

It is not that much easier publishing, as it appears no matter what you put out, certain larger operations have algorithms that hinder your progress for sales, because you do not use their own brand or platform to publish and print from, it really does feel like there are one too many Marjorie’s controlling everything, in the world today.

I am pretty sure my hopes of making it as a writer are pretty much stunted, because I want the freedom to take from all my many observations in life, and all the conversations I have had, and use them in my stories. Sadly, that courts controversy, oh how I wish I could time travel back to the seventies, just to get my books out and have them actually read by open minded people who have no fear of being challenged, I am quite sure Abigail would probably have a much better chance of survival, well, better than in 2021.

They say life reflects art, and yep, that is pretty much my life, as I fight to gets books delivered on time to the few who want to read them, with a book that can be printed and shipped within days, but the so called large multinational company offering it online, puts ridiculous delivery times on it, putting customers off because they do not want to wait.

It is mental, I ordered my own book to test the water. Now bear in mind, it is printed in the UK and all over the world, and I live in the UK, but nope, this huge company has decided to print it in the EU, so they cannot offer me a delivery date yet, how utterly ridiculous is that?

Of course, the answer is simple, print and distribute with them, but I don’t want to, because that restricts where my books will be available, and it certainly rules out shops and libraries, who won’t touch them. This is my life as a writer, in stead of writing, I am tied up in an AI robot with no hope of ever talking to a human, trying to simply get one answer. WTF are you playing at, print the bloody thing in the UK.

I am starting to feel like the chief Curio, as I sit wondering what new draconian rules, I will have to restrict my future books, as I work on the second instalment of my story with Abigail and her friends for 2022.

The sad thing is that the story of Abigail, reflects a great deal of life today, with its bullies, and sexual liberation of the young, which I understand is shocking for the older generations who do not really understand that kind of open free life. It fascinates me how people in their lives, are judged by the sexual behaviour, and called for experimenting, when in truth, the world is supposed to be a much more tolerant and accepting society. It is alright to be whatever you want, and identify with any of the many labels we have today, women are told embrace your sexuality, and be unashamed, just don’t do too much of it or you will be shamed, and berated for it. It is such a contradiction, as the masses encourage people to be and live free, and yet when they do, they all stand in judgement, point the finger and shame them. Yep, Madge is alive and well and watching you.

It makes me chuckle, as I am aware of some who read Abigail’s Summer, and were quite taken aback, with a Marjorie like response of ‘Oh, he used to write such nice things, like the love between Robbie and Runestone, in Heirs to the Kingdom, and this Abigail has swearing, I never expected this.’ I cannot deny I have smiled, Abigail’s life is too much, and yet Cutters killing, raping and hanging people from trees is fine, and what about the enforced slavery of the orphanages controlled by Mason Knox?

The works of Robin John Morgan, Writer Author

Just for the record, Runestone has way more sex than Abigail, but that is fine as it is in a dystopian fantasy, and she is married. Just a quick note, she was late sixteen, unmarried, in her mother’s front room, and in front of a passed out Harry, when she jumped on Robbie. I feel Birch would be proud of her, and pat her on the back with a happy, “Well done, was that nice Sweetie?”

The simple truth is, there is actually a really wonderful story within the Curio Chronicles, as it follows the life of Abigail, and those who surround her. She comes from what is considered to be a good family of breeding, they are certainly seen as the well to do moral family. But peel back the layers, and it is a very different story, and that is the point of the Curio Chronicles, it is the peeling back the layers, and taking a good long look at what lies below the facade of the false.

How it looks on the outside, is more important that how it is on the inside, and that is not just life in Wotton, that is the reality of life today.

Look at Edwin, a well to do accountant, in the right tailored suits, highly regarded in the business world, and looked up to by all in Wotton. He is for want of better words, a model resident. The fact that he is cold and cruel to his wife and daughter is meaningless, he looks good. He is out in London, boasting about his wealth, screwing around behind his wife’s back, and when confronted by his wife’s best friend Hatty about it, because Abigail saw him, how did he deal with it, he punished his daughter severely, he even chose to believe a rapist who had the right image in the village, over his own daughter?

Abigail lived at home, lost and ignored and felt utterly betrayed by her father, a scenario I know well, having talked with many like her. Her mother who is a high up in the Parish Council is no better, as she tries to emulate Marjorie and gain respect and approval of the village, and in doing so, became controlling and unfeeling, putting image as a higher priority than her daughters well being. Felicity was once a free spirit, much more like her daughter, and yet because she was shammed and bullied, she married an uncaring man just to gain acceptance again, as it looked proper and decent, the hypocrisy never ends in Wotton.

The joy of writing this series was that I was able to use Wotton to hold up a mirror to society as a whole, and say look at this, in a startling and at times uncomfortable way. The Curio Chronicles, and Abigail’s Summer, does not hold back as it twists and weaves through what actually is quite a powerful story. The sexual referencing and humour lighten the load on the journey, but for those who have read Abigail’s Summer, as you know in true RJM manor, what I write at the start of the book, is just to paint the background, and lull the reader into a very unseen twist at the end, as I lob in a very large dose of reality to Abigail’s life.

Debs, Birch and Deadly. Abigail’s Summer
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That is sort of the point, this is her story, her evolution, and through each book she will age as she faces new challenges, always living in the fear of becoming her mother. If I have learned anything about life having been around for fifty odd years, and having spent much of that watching and talking to others, it is that life is uncomfortable, and not quite the rosy picture we would want it to be. There are some pretty ruthless and cruel people in the world, and we have all done things in our past we would much rather not admit, and that is actually the point of the series.

We live in the moment doing our best, and we get drawn into things we enjoy, even if it surprises us at times, which as we grow up and grow older, we are told that is wrong. So we hide it, ashamed someone will find out, and there are a lot of people in this world who judge others for doing exactly as we did as young people. In the first book, Abigail is nineteen and filled with the optimism of living a free open life, especially as she has the very liberated and wild Birch at her side, who encourages her to live well and not hide it, as Birch guides her into learning about who she really is, and what her full potential can be.

Birch never lies and admits her faults, she is after all unashamed of just being herself, but after all, she was raised by two psychologists, and has devoted a lot of her life to the study of human behaviour, and thoroughly understands it. She believes people should not hide, and live their lives to the fullest, as we only get one trip round the block, and fully intends to make the most of her life, and in doing so, enhance the lives of Abigail and her friends, and she definitely does not hold back.

In a way, Deadly and Birch are like a yin and yang, as their dark and light fit together perfectly, with Birch creating her chaos, and Abby getting dragged into the centre of it all, racked with self doubt and close to heart failure, trying to understand herself. Birch opens the world up for Abby, and in doing so, opens her own world, as the two of them learn to let go and sample life to its eye brow raising fullest. For Abigail, she begins to learn a great deal more about who she really is, and starts to see and understand her own potential, especially as a wannabe writer. Birch already knows Abigail is capable of greater things, and in many ways gives her a well needed push, as she helps unshackle the chains placed on Abby by her parents through the oppression of her childhood.

I feel there is a message here that says let go and be true to yourself, and if that is not what you expected, well at least it is honest. So many people suffer from those dreaded four words of ‘what will people think?’ and as a result, they become unhappy and feel they have to hide. The saddest thing about that, is usually people are so preoccupied with their own egos, that they do not really notice anyone else.

Be honest, do people ever look up from their phones these days, maybe they fear being triggered by someone being respectful to them and saying hello? I find it amusing and crazy, that today just showing good manners is seen as flirting, and can trigger someone, it is so messed up.

As I prepare the second book to be published, I smile, yep, this one is no different, (That is your trigger warning lol) as the group fall apart and separate, as five years pass, and they hit twenty four years old, but as with all things connected to Abigail and Birch, you cannot stop a runaway train, and those two who are a little older, but not so much wiser, blaze a trail to send Marjorie and her cronies into meltdown, leaving them no choice but to strike back.

Abigail’s Summer The Curio Chronicles Book One

The second Curio book, will challenge all of Abigail’s perceptions of her youth, and force her to face some unpleasant realities, and face some of her biggest fears, with plenty of humour and some very uncomfortable topics. All of it will be done with the same curiosity from Deb’s, the cool controlled manner from Edwina, some flamboyance from Anthony, and as for Chloe, well she is just exactly who she has always been meant to be, just a simple girl from a council house estate in Oxendale, and more deviant than ever, as she swears like a sailor, but she actually is a lovely kind girl, although all young men should be wary.

I am working on Curio’s Summer now, (Curio Chronicles, book two) as well as something completely different from anything I have ever written before, which is more fantasy based, and probably expected of me, as its cleaner. (Smiles) And as with all things I write, when it is done, you will have it. I also have two more Kingdom related stories which have been progressing along, one more a prequel to jump in after Raven, and one set after the last Kingdom book, so they will appear at some point.

My time is busy, shared between the writing desk and VCP and all the problems with being an indie publisher, trying to get noticed, in between all the large dominant companies, who appear determined to force me to play by their rules, which I won’t be doing any time soon. And as always, when I know more, so will all of you.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this journey of mine in a writer life, it has always been greatly appreciated, so stay safe and talk books, it all helps.

The Arrival, and almost Departure, of Abigail.

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It is funny really as I look back on what has been the most stressful and heart-breaking week of my life, and then cast my mind back to last year.

The rise of the Covid virus sent shivers down my spine, as I got to see something not unsimilar to the rise of the Red Death, and realised very quickly that my thoughts back in the mid 1980’s were actually pretty accurate, as an unknown virus swept across the world creating havoc. Back in March 2020, it was frightening to watch the news media, and see some of my theories about the fragility of life become a reality.

People around me were scared, jobs were threatened, schools closed, and everyone went into survival mode, and spending stopped as people stayed home, and a whole new reality of life became apparent. We all wore masks, if we had to leave the house, something we all did with much trepidation. Business crashed, including my own, it was a difficult and frightening time to be alive.

Suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands, and so I focused on writing. Getting the last part of HTTK out was a priority, even though I knew few would sell as people sat on their cash, just in case their employers crashed also. I got the book out in July, but was not expecting a great deal, and in order to stay focused, I wrote another related story that went back to the very beginning of Heirs to the Kingdom, which I do hope to publish this year.

With that over with, I had to occupy my thoughts, we came out of the lockdown, only to find ourselves back in another one, so I did what I could with VCP, and then turned back to writing, and a project I shelved back in 2017. Back then I really wanted to write this book, but I was so tied up with Kingdom, it was not possible, I have a file filled with outlined ideas, and story plots, and in mid-October, I was sifting through it, when I came across what was at the time simply labelled ‘Students.’

For those not in the know, as I do keep a lot of my life private, I worked on and off for over twenty five years counselling, and in that time of talking with every generation, I have been privileged enough to gain a lot of insights, to areas of life that are not often visible to most of us.

I read through what was the synopsis for the book, it was late at night and I was really feeling that need to write, which I lovingly refer to as having itchy fingers. I reached the end of the synopsis and quickly realised this would actually make a great start to a story, and would create almost a full first chapter, and that was it, I reached the end, hit enter to drop a line and continued to write for the next five hours, creating notes on the story as I went. Somewhere around dawn, I collapsed into bed mentally exhausted, with a list of main characters, a rough sketched village map, and the first two chapters.

Abigail's Summer by Robin John Morgan. ISBN 978-1-910299-27-2

That became the pattern of my life for the next two weeks, I hammered away everyday making a few more notes, but basically, I was writing blind and, in the dark, just making it up as I went along, never knowing what the next chapter would be about. For myself, it felt like freedom, and reminded me very much of writing the Bowman of Loxley back in 2007, which was the same inspired and intense experience, and I was loving the fact I was writing something nothing at all like Kingdom.

The editing watered it down a little, it was real, very gritty, a little spicy, and had lots of twists and turns in it to keep the reader guessing, and the most wonderful thing about it all, was it contained lots of slightly tongue in cheek, and a little naughty humour. I have always struggled to write humour, Harry in Kingdom was not always an easy thing, and I would spend hours putting each little section riddled with misunderstanding together. Abigail was so different, it just flowed out of me as I thought back to all the stupid and bizarre moments of my own life, and that of friends.

What emerged was a book that whilst not as elaborate and heavily layered as Kingdom, still had a lot of great sub plots and layers, that would all weave through the story to the final ending. I hoped it would provide a good twist, and really engage the reader to take a long hard look at their own life and the lives of those around them. From the few to date that have read it, I think it has worked really well.

I will not deny, the book is very modern and fresh, and very off the cuff, and gritty, and for a lot of readers, I am assuming there will be a few WTF! moments, but I actually like that, books should make people think, and even with Kingdom, I created similar scenarios.

Abigail and her crazy friend Birch, encounter so much unpredictable madness, that it is my hope it keeps the story flowing, so far those who have read think it does, but ultimately the jury is still out on that. The last month of editing and formatting was such an exciting time for me, I guess with Kingdom I have become a little jaded, after 14 years and eight books, and not as excited as I should be, but this book had me chomping at the bit as the deadline drew closer, and seeing it formatted was thrilling, and even more so, as this was the first time, I was putting a digital version out at the same time.

Abigail's Summer, Print and Digital

Digital Kingdoms are coming soon, there has been a lot of set backs getting the right distribution, but that is now sorted and settled, and the Kingdom stories are almost ready, I just held back a little as I wanted to give Abigail a good run first. The day approached and I got the first test print, and it looked amazing, it was also so much fun to work on the cover, as my wife took on the task of cover design for me, and she produced such a great relevant and fantastic picture for it. I really was so excited, and could not wait for the moment when we hit the button, and it was published.

My joy was short lived, the following day when the book appeared on Amazon, it was listed as unavailable, with the comment “We do know when or if this item will be back in stock.” I could not believe it, and checked straight away with the distributor, but it was available and ready to print, it made no sense at all. The following day, June 13th, the book was offered, but the delivery time was ‘one to two months’ Again my happiness was crushed. I checked again with the distributor, they were quite insistent the book was available, as it could be printed and shipped within 3 to 5 working days depending on the number of orders coming in.

Currently Unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock

All I can say is, when you are an author and you have put your heart and soul into a book, to experience this, is devastating. No reader is prepared to wait between one and two months for a book. I tried to contact Amazon, which as an author or publisher is impossible, their email no longer works, and their phones lines ring and ring, and when you do get through to the call system, you go round and round, all they are interested in is customer calls, not authors. It was frustrating and gut wrenching, my chances of selling my book were zero, it was literally dead in the water. I tried chat, and got a robot, and again got the same run around, it was impossible to get past it, because there is no chat box to write in, you just have generic answers to press, and no hope of speaking to a human being, and talk to someone who could help me. I cannot write how soul destroying it was to have to go through it. I spoke to another author on a forum who I know quite well, they told me, “They want you to publish with them and use their POD service, if you don’t, get used to this.” Another author told me. “It happened to me, and the only way I could get back on the platform was to give them an even bigger discount.” They added. “My book sells for twelve pounds, and at the end of all of it, I get just one pound and forty pence, after paying the print costs, Amazon takes the rest which is massively more than I make.”

Usually despatched within one to two months.

All Authors use POD (Print on Demand) it is an advanced system which means as you buy the book, it is printed and shipped automatically. Amazon has no reason to list any of our books for more than one month’s deliver time, they simply chose to, because they are a multi billion dollar company that rules supremely over the book world, and no one is big enough to challenge them, and so they can do as they wish, which means delaying delivery of anyone’s books, and it is wrong and it sucks.

Just like last year, it felt like my books were running in sync with my stories, last year I saw a virus not unsimilar in its spread to the one I created for Kingdom, and my latest book Abigail’s Summer, focus’s on the bullying tactics of those who feel they can control everything, and Amazon certainly do when it comes to book sales.

I really love Abigail’s Summer, the characters are probably not what you expect from me, but they really are wonderful, so much so I reached the end of the first book, and knew I could not walk away from them, and so wrote another four stories that took them from their first glorious summer together, right through ten years of life, friendships and troubles. What is now the Curio Chronicles will come out over the next few years, I was lucky, I wrote all of them before the first was even published, so they are done, apart from a few tweaks.

Working hard with VCP at the moment, I am working to make sure I never get hit in the face again. Abigail’s Summer will be available world wide and with a fast delivery to ensure anyone who wants to read it will do, it will take a few weeks to get it set up, but that is ongoing as I write, and in future I will not bother what Amazon does, as I will promote the hell out of the VCP links and do it myself.

To those of you who have stood by me and supported my writing since 2009, I would ask, that if you do read Abigail’s Summer, (If you actually get it before Summer ends) and you do enjoy it, because it is very different from HTTK, please help, share the links, talk, tell your friends, and encourage them to buy it or download it. I am one guy sat at a desk who loves to write, and create great stories, but at the moment that is threatened, as without sales, I will not be able to make it through, and will ultimately have to stop writing. I am working 18-hour days to get this book known and out there.

My story is not a lone one, as other authors have reached out with the same story, and I am helping them to follow my lead and build websites with their own delivery distribution worldwide built in. No one should bend to a bully, and Abigail’s Summer shows that, and I will back up my words in the book 1000%. There is a line in it that feels so appropriate at the moment, and you will find it in chapter thirty-two, and it simply reads.

ADULTS BULLY TOO!

My thanks as always to those who have supported my writing, I hope you all have a peaceful Summer.

Life and Darkness.

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It was always my hope that within the pages of HTTK the characters would take on a life that felt real. I wanted the readers to form a bond with the characters as if they were real people within their lives, and so a great deal of my time writing this story was put into thinking each and every movement of the characters, and their reactions, which I hoped breathed life into them.

HTTK albeit a fantasy story, is in my mind about life, the normal everyday life that we all live in the time that we have. Life has many wonderful things, such as love, family, companionship, laughter and joy, but it also has its fair share of hurt, betrayal, sorrow, jealousy, and heartbreak. We are taught that life has to be a balance of both, and have many sayings such as, “taking the rough with the smooth,” and even though we may talk to others about their pain and suffering, I find it is often the case that people hide their own fears and pain, by burying it deep inside them in fear of the shame that they will appear less complete or weaker than those that surround them.

HTTK has many themes, but one underlying theme has been within the pages since the very start, and that is of course the darkness that is hidden from everyone. Throughout this story spanning eight books, every so often a little of the darkness hidden deep within has seeped to the surface, and this was shown in book one with betrayal, and two and three especially in the manner in which Mason’s soldiers conduct themselves. All of these served the purpose of showing a much deeper layer hidden inside the story that I hoped would serve to prepare the reader for the final two books. Greed and Power also show the darkness within people, and that has been very obvious within the tale since the start, and so these were my vehicles that would provide the truth of life, and clues to the final book in the series.

It is well documented, that in order to write Kingdom, I took much of my life experiences and that of others I had observed, and wove them into a fantasy series of books, using my characters as the vehicle to deliver my message, so if you take some time, and having read all eight books and follow the darkness, you will find that the final book comes to the most natural conclusion possible for this story, although I am sure at first reading that will not appear to be the case, and you will spend a little time pondering the way the book comes to its close.

In order to fully understand this, you have to go right back to book one and look at the actions of the green lord. He had watched for a long time, and seeing how out of balance the world had become, he decided to act, hence the Red Death virus that wiped out the largest percentage of mankind. Evil had spread through the lines of men, and they were blamed for all that was wrong, and so he took action to halt it for good. The opening of book eight begins with our old lord as he ponders everything, and in doing so he begins to realise he has made a mistake, for there deep within everything was a darkness hidden from everyone.

For myself personally, I feel that at some point in life, we too sit as the green lord does, and we all take some time to reflect on our past and on the life we have lived, and it is in these times that we begin to see that at some point in our life, we too have had to deal with a circle of darkness that surrounded us. Our lives do slip out of balance, and it is usually in these times that we suffer silently with our own dark thoughts, as our mind tries to deal with the experiences that we have had, and in most cases it is within the hours of darkness that our greatest fears creep into us, and we see the truth of not only our own lives, but also the lives of others. These are our own times within the circle, and they are powerful moments hidden from view, veiled from the rest of the world, and book eight is the book that finally brings these moments to the surface as everyone feels its effects and loses a little faith.

Without revealing any spoilers for the final book, I am sure those who have read the book will be a little surprised at the way this book comes to its close. I think I am right in saying it will be unexpected, although the clues have been there if you look for them.

The pace of the final book is very different from the rest, it is irregular as it weaves and twists through the highs and lows, and is filled with doubt and confusion. Book three was pretty dark in places, but this book takes that to a whole new level, you start to realise that the Specialist’s are jaded from over a year a hard fighting and they have lost a little of their zest, I think Rowan says it perfectly when he states, “he has seen things no man should have to witness” and just for the quiet contemplative man he is to suddenly admit that, shows the fatigue they all feel. He too is looking back and seeing his own personal circle of darkness and finally having to deal with it, as is Robbie, Rayne, Runestone, Jade and Sapphire.

Book eight reveals just how badly out of balance everything is, and it is not just a world view, or a natural environmental view, although they are important themes within all eight books, this time it on a personal level, and it does shake the inner most foundations of everyone’s beliefs, and that is why the ending of this book is the right one.

The only way to survive is to try and return things back to balance, there has to be light, but in order to keep the scales level, there also has to be some darkness, and this book looks at the way that can be achieved, and I am sure the last page of the book will highlight that perfectly.

Heirs to the Kingdom by Robin John Morgan

Heirs to the Kingdom was always meant to reflect life as it is today, and whilst it is wonderful to live in a fantasy that involves families, love, desire, friendship, simple living and compassion, sadly life today has too much of exploitation, violence, rape, war, and greed for wealth and power. Take a moment to study history and it reveals the great evils of the past that men have committed on their own race and other races. History shows how we have destroyed and exploited nature for gain, persecuted each other for power and control, and committed acts of horrendous evil. There was no coincidence in Opal saying “Look to the past,” her message was always to look deeply into the darkness and cast the light on the truth.

Life no matter how much you want to avoid it contains a great deal of pain and injustice, I know I have lived it myself, and witnessed it in the lives of those who have surrounded me. I have walked in my own circle of darkness and suffered, and I have fought on through it to find the light again, and I have accompanied many others on their own journey through the darkness into the light. What I have learned on these many journeys is that we do not always have control over it, we certainly hide most of it and wrestle alone as we deal with it, and sometimes, it is not us who can finally banish it, sometimes it takes another at our side to finally rid us of it.

We are never completely alone, we may feel it at times as the pressure mounts, but no matter how dark things become, if we have the courage to face the darkness and reach out, all of us find the help we so desperately need, be it a friend, professional or family, and that is the heart of the story that is Heirs to the Kingdom.

Heirs to the Kingdom by Robin John Morgan is a complete fantasy Adventure series that is available to purchase from Amazon and all other online book sellers.

Behind the pages.

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The one question I get more than any other question is, “Why did you leave horticulture to become a writer?”

For those who have no idea about my life before writing, I spent 35 years working with plants, and it is true to say, I am a huge fan of green life. I walked away from horticulture in 2008 which came as a huge surprise to a lot of people, as most people saw me as a very dedicated supporter of the growing and nurturing of all forms of plant life, and it may come as some surprise to know that I still am.

The reason for my sudden change back then was simple, horticulture for me as a profession had run its course, I had worked for nurseries, garden centres, ran a dedicated group of enthusiasts, and set up and run my own business, and each of those aspects of my life had provided me with passion, drive and ambition, but in truth, there was so much more to who I am as a person, and ultimately horticulture was holding me back from living a free and open life.

Through writing I discovered I had a voice, and I had thoughts, dreams and ideas that filled my head with endless possibilities. The life of a horticulturalist involves long days of work, and even though I will never regret a minute of that life, there simply was not enough time for me to explore the many facets of the person I had grown into, and writing gave the space and time to explore all of those aspects of my evolving persona and mind set.

I live a very private life, my circle is small and my mind is vast, and over the span of time I have lived on this earth, I have encountered many ups and downs along the journey of this life. I know devastation, I know heart break, I know inner turmoil, I know pain, and I know betrayal. I have seen the worst in people there is no doubt, but I also know joy, contentment, inner peace, companionship and deep love.

In life we share our time with many different people, and we are challenged by different beliefs and by other cultures, and it is from these kind of associations, which in many ways contradict each other, I have through life developed a wonderful curiosity about the human condition, and yet even though through watching plant life grow and develop, which in itself shows you natures interactions, I had no real way to apply my understanding of the things I learned about human interactions.

In 2006 I began to add my thoughts to a story that had preoccupied a large chunk of my life, and very soon I realised this was the perfect vehicle for me to explore what I had learned. In many ways it is ironic, because by bringing together a fantasy fiction, I could express what was my real life observations and my own experiences. Daft as it may sound, it was a powerful experience to know I could recreate situations I had seen or lived through, and have other characters act out those scenarios with different outcomes. For the first time in my life, I could unleash my mind and allow my thoughts that were so mixed up and jumbled in my head, onto paper in a cohesive form, and I cannot deny it felt at first like an exorcism, and it was very powerful.

Since that time, what has become a series of books titled ‘Heirs to the Kingdom’ I have found a place where for the first time in my life, I have felt a sense of belonging that matched my love of the green world, and it has changed everything about how I see myself, and who I wanted to become. It is within the pages I have written, this somewhat awkward, introverted outcast discovered some way of making sense of a life that was confused, mixed up and at times lost, flapping in the winds of the wilderness. It was truly life changing for me to put pen to paper and finally make sense of everything, I can only describe it as some form of awakening, and it felt so positive it dwarfed everything, including my life working with people and showing them the ways of nature and raising plant life.

Heirs to the Kingdom by Robin John Morgan

My life still has many ups and downs, but I find I understand them and deal with them better now, and no I have no intentions of writing a self-help book. Today I understand that to be a writer it is important to look at the world and record your observations. It worries me that in this current time (2020) there is division and divisiveness all around the globe, it feels very much like the voices of many are being suppressed, and only those of certain creeds and cultures have the right to talk, and as a thinker and writer, I can see how destructive that is, and understand that without realising it, I have been writing about it for over ten years, for that really is what Heirs to the Kingdom is about.

I had no voice, I was not given the platform to talk openly and freely, and it has been that way since I was a child. That is the purpose of a writer, and yet it took me 44 years of life to truly understand that even though I was being guided by the voices of every writer I have ever read, I was in fact silent.

My story will shortly come to its conclusion, and I feel there is a stronger voice within the pages than ever before, and my attention will turn to other stories and other experiences, it has indeed been a very fulfilling journey. I still have hurdles to climb, none more so that the frustrations of multinational book sellers who have made life during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus harder than it should be, and I have to comply to the frustrations of staff shortages that cause delay after delay within the book production industry, but shortly, I will finally get to where I want to be, and I feel great optimism for the future writing about my loves and my hates and the flow of mine and others I have observed lives.

Heirs to the Kingdom is something I am very proud of, it is not a best seller, but it is known to a dedicated few and I appreciate their support. I often get asked what the book is about, and I always say the very same thing. It is about life; it is the story of families, and friends, the pain and the joy, and the hopes and dreams we all hold along the way. Yes it’s a fantasy, but the core of it is as real as your life or mine, and if I never write anything else, I am happy to have finished it, for it was a mammoth task, and a labour of love.

The Final Circle.

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When it comes to Heirs to the Kingdom, you have probably noticed that it’s all about Circles. It has become one of the most important aspects of the story, as everyone is interwoven into groups and circles of friendships that all revolve around each other. This is a reflection of my own life, as I have wandered from circle to circle, never really belonging to any one circle, and yet welcomed in many. Life in itself is a circle, and I feel it has shaped and influenced my own life in such a way, that it simply appeared obvious that I would include it in my series, which is based around the life of two families and their circles of influence.

Book Eight "The Circle of DarknessOne circle that has been hidden for most of the books is the one that will be used to title the final book, “The Circle of Darkness.” This is the final circle, which revolves around the family line of Morgan le Fey, and for most of the series has been hidden in plain view from everyone, including the characters, which is why it took seven previous books to arrive at it.

Throughout all the books I have brought snippets of the family of Morgan into the tale and slipped them out, almost as if this whole series has been one circle that the reader would enter for a brief time and then move on to another, and in doing this it has helped me as the Author to show you a glimpse, and then snatch in from view again, so that the reader has never truly understood how the line of Morgan became so powerful, but all of that is about to change.

There is a fascinating backstory here of mystery and devious behaviour, and it is my hope that the final book will cast some light into a very dark place and illuminate the whole story of HTTK in doing so. It has not been the easiest of the books to write, and as with everything I have added to Kingdom, I hope it is enough to really make you want to go back and look through all the books again and seek out those Aha! Moments, as you start to fully understand all those little bits of information woven throughout the first seven. Whenever I have been questioned in the past, I have always responded with “Everything is written for a reason,” and I hope that becomes clear in the final book.

The Circle of Darkness has taken longer than any of the series to write, and yet I have enjoyed putting it together immensely. As I began to write this book, I suddenly started to realise how large a world I had created in my head, and as I sifted through piles of notes to make a start, I must admit I found myself reading something I had written up a note years ago, and simply sat reading, which did somewhat slow the process.

This final book has allowed me to bring in one realm I planned in 2002, Florae, the realm created by Hearne and Eve especially for the Fae of Earth, which could only be accessed from the world of men via the doorway on the Violet Isle. Florae for me is a Utopian dream, a place where one truly is at one with nature, where nothing is wasted and every aspect of life is lived in harmony with nature. It is indeed a place I would live happily to the end of my days, surrounded by green life and beauty, and a place where I could rest my mind and simply relax.

Florae was ruled for ages by Queen Bridget Violet, the equal of Rhiannon and grandmother to Gwendolyn, and was built by her husband Malcolm, and her son Ninian, And considering who Runestone actually is, you will understand the wisdom of Gwendolyn, and her passing of a future Queen of Florae to the care of the Woodland Realm. This book will not reveal all of the life of Bridget, but it will show enough for you to understand her wisdom and care of her people, and yes there is still a good backstory there for later days.

As with all previous books I shall bring forth new characters, a few in particular that I absolutely loved creating for you, two such characters will be Branna and Tila. These two are poles apart in their character and philosophy towards life, and I hope you will all enjoy meeting them. Like all things characters will come and go as the book draws to its conclusion, which again I hope is as unpredictable as the ends of the others have been.

I have to confess I will miss many of these characters I created. The confusion and profound simplicity of Fagan, who Jade understands completely. Those dithering moments of Woody before Una took charge of him, the confidence of Jett and Blades in the thick of the fight. Opal, oh how I will miss her calm and insightful conversations, and also Steph, the voice of reason in the midst of nerves, or her absolute revulsion at the menu. Robbie, Runestone, Rowan and Jade have been the focus of many long nights planning their love and lives, be it woodsman boots under a wedding dress, or Robbie’s endless confusion of the family he married into. It has been so wonderful, like the moment Sapphire kissed Robbie in the cave, and my wife became outraged with her, or the text message I got over one of her favourite characters that simply read,  “If you kill him, I am divorcing you.” And as I reassured her at the time, “keep reading.” It has been a wonderful journey.

Heirs to the Kingdom

Heirs to the Kingdom has always been the story of life, with its loves and pains, and learned wisdom, from all that happens. Much of this tale has been taken from real life and given a fantasy twist, but if you look deep enough, I am sure there is much to take away from it. I never realised when I began to seriously write that first terrible draft back in 2007 that it would grow to be such a detailed and inspiring tale. I do think I greatly underestimated how much I would come to love these characters, and the realms in which they lived. My life since that day has been filled with excited conversations, wonderful emails, and some very long nights working quietly in the darkness, lost in a world that is alive in my head. It has been such a thrill to create it, and if just one person falls in love with my world and lives through a thrilling adventure in their thoughts, I will feel satisfied and a little less insecure about putting it all together, and out in print.

The wait will not be much longer as the final manuscript is edited and formatted, and soon you will hold it in print, and it is my hope, you enjoy it as much as I have creating it. Heirs to the Kingdom is not the biggest seller, or the most popular, but the love shown it by such a dedicated few, made it feel like the world’s biggest best seller to me, and I am so deeply grateful for the love you have shown to it. Thank you.

Happy New Year 2019.

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Winter within the Woodland

At one hour past midnight in a glade filled with soft snow, the sounds of a small babies cries echoed through the bare snow dressed trees, around the ancient woodland that surrounded Robbie’s Mere, and the house of the Lord Loxley and his wife Runestone.

   As if they all knew, the few animals that scratched in the snow for food, stopped and all raised their heads and looked in the direction of the wooden house. It was a sacred time when a power of the sight of the future was brought by Stephanie and Jessica into the world.

   The house rang with cheers, and laughter and the ringing of glasses of celebration, and somehow in the world of the woodland that was asleep for the winter, life seemed to tread round the trees and bring tidings to all of a new addition to the noble line of Loxley.

Taken from The Queen of the Violet Isle. HTTK Book Four, by Robin John Morgan.

Is it 2019 already?

It is hard to believe that 10 years ago in January of 2009, I sat with my girlfriend, later to be my wife, and looked through every page of the Bowman of Loxley. We were in the process of starting what was to become a publishing deal for the first editions of HTTK, the only problem was, the publisher was concerned about the word count. We edited a sizeable chunk from the first book, something I did very begrudgingly, as this book was the culmination of 20 years of research and ideas.

It was an exciting time, I had been pushed and pushed by a lot of people to publish this book, and for two years I had dodged doing it, from my own point of view I did not feel like I was a writer, I simply wrote stuff down and enjoyed doing it. Writing was a past time, a hobby, it was not something that was meant to be serious, but having been pushed by just about everyone who had read the rough first draft, I had finally made the decision to publish and set about getting things ready.

The rest as we know is history, the book was edited down, the book was published in April 2009, followed by book two the same year, and the third book came out a year later. It has all felt like a whirl wind trip, and the kind of story dreams are made of, but sadly that was not to be the case.

The fourth book in the series was not published until 2014, four years after the third book, which was mainly due to the fact that as my third book hit the stores, I began to feel very uneasy about allowing my publisher of that time work on the fourth. Things felt wrong, and my suspicions grew a great deal that things with the publisher were not as expected. I am glad now that I listened to my gut feelings because as I arrive in 2019 I still have not received a single penny in royalties from those first editions, and I can no longer reach the publisher as they have disappeared, I have had no choice but to write off those earnings from what at the time was a lot of book sales.

It served as a lesson for the future, and became my driving force to set things right and establish HTTK by a means I could control, and funnily enough, it was New Year’s Day 2014 that I launched Violet Circle Publishing, after a year of seriously hard work and effort on the part of my wife and myself. January 2014 was once again a hive of activity as I pushed to firstly revisit the first three books, and put back all the edits that had been removed from the first editions. The focus from that point on was to completely re-format the interior with a format that could be replicated throughout all the books, I wanted it simple, clean, and easy to read, and by making the page size a little larger, I manged to drop the page count, and thus reduce the price of the books, as I had always felt the first editions were just too expensive.

January 2019 is going to follow a similar pattern; I will be writing none stop as my wife looks towards the editing of each chapter as I write it, in order to speed up production of the final book of the series. It will feel good to finish with the final book on the tenth anniversary of the first publication, a feat that will bring to a close a whopping twelve years of none stop writing of this particular series of books. Who knew it would take so long to actually get all of it to this point and into print?

Heirs to the Kingdom has seen me write millions of words, spend literally a good few years of just editing and revising, I have taken thousands of photographs, driven hundreds of miles, and have hours of notes on my digital voice recorder, and I think I have used a good few trees worth of recycled paper in the process.

I would love to say it’s been exhausting, but honestly even though there have been so many nights sat up alone writing, and I have at times suffered sleep deprivation because I got carried away on a particular stubborn part of the tale. Exhaustion was never an issue, it has been a challenge of that there is no doubt, but I loved every moment I have worked on this story, and it has become a huge part of the person I have become, and hopefully I think I can say I have finally earned my stripes as full time writer.

2019 will take me into a place where my focus and concentration have to be better than ever, I have a lot still to do to bring this story to its final conclusion, and it with that in mind that I take my inspiration from the last ten years of working to publish this story. It still needs a much bigger fan base if I am going to continue to write, and once the final book hits the shelves, that will be my goal for the second part of this year, but for now, I am simply doing what I love the most, writing the tale that you have all come to love, for all of you who read this are one of the inspirations that drives me forward, and I will be forever grateful to all of you.

I wish all of you the very best for this coming year, I wish you all peace, and safety in whatever you may face this year, and I hope all of you will get to walk a greener path lit by the shade of old trees.

Happy New Year 2019 to you all.

The dappled shade of the Woodland