Green Fingers

Back in May, I was watching Gardener's World and they were giving away free seeds. I can't resist free things so I sent off for some. They came a little while later and now I'm really into my gardening!

I'm growing tomatoes, butternut squash, beetroots, peppers, sweetcorn and lettuce. Though the lettuce is dead now. I've also bought my seeds ready for next year and am considering getting one of those mini greenhouses to grow my seedlings in. (This year they littered the windowsill in the kitchen...)

I also like houseplants, especially weird or unusual ones! I have an orchid, that I bought for £2! (Love a bargain!) But it requires surgery. Apparently I have to sterilise some scissors, cut off a leaf, and then seal the cut with cinnamon powder. I haven't tried it yet...

My newest plant is a bromeliad. A massive purpley pink guzmania. Tis prettyful!

The Kingdom of Malinas review

The Kingdom of Malinas has received another great review! Check it out: here

I've decided to sign up to HarperCollins 'Authonomy' site too. You can read some great books there. Check it out. ;)

First review of 'Casting Shadows'

Casting Shadows is the anthology that I worked on with two other authors, Joleen Kuyper and Jo Robertson. It hasn't been out long but it's just had its first review! Check out: REVIEW

The Kingdom of Malinas

The Kingdom of Malinas is the debut novel from author E.J. Tett. It is a young adult fantasy adventure story and has been compared to the 'Lioness Rampant' series by Tamora Pierce, Stan Nicholls's trilogy 'The Nightshade Chronicles’ and J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

The story is about Sorrel, a typical teenager: feisty, determined and occasionally grumpy. At first her concerns are a dislike of school and a desire for more excitement in life: but when most of her people are taken away by the Lamya, she will need all she has learned and get more excitement than she could have ever imagined. She must free her family and friends from a life of slavery in the Kingdom of Malinas: the land the Lamya took from her ancestors.

The leader of the Lamya is the evil Corrinus: his minions and bodyguards will make it very difficult for Sorrel to rescue her people. She does have some help however, in the form of her older brother Leif, best friend Little Cloud and the mysterious boy Gaeshi who may be a key figure in the fight for the Kingdom of Malinas. Their quest will be filled with danger, but they must try...
Reviewed by Ann Marie Chalmers at Front Street Reviews
The Lamya have not invaded the Kingdom of Malinas for over a hundred years but when Sorrel grows up she still wants to be a warrior and fight against the historical enemies of her people the Elani. Arguing with her mother and Brother one evening Sorrel runs off. She returns to her home in the Vale of Malinas to find everything burned and all the inhabitants dead or taken into slavery. After all this time the Lamya are a threat again and it is left to Sorrel and a few other survivors to save her people.

In order to fight the Lamya Sorrel has to travel away from her home and find an army to help her. With her best friend Little Cloud by her side the journey is long and dangerous. Sorrel and her friend face a Lamya guard, 2 dragons and a mysterious wraith on their adventure but that is nothing compared to the pink-eyed Leader of the Lamya of Malinas called Corrinus and there is also Millicent to watch out for.

The fate of the Kingdom of Malinas rests in Sorrel’s hands. Will she manage to defeat Corrinus and have her people released from slavery? Will the Lamya people stand in her way or help? This is a story of good versus evil and is something young readers can really get their teeth into. Not as childish as the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ or as hard as ‘Lord of the Rings’ this new world is perfect for teenagers, young adults and even grown ups who have read Maria Snyder’s ‘Study’ series.

With some extraordinary characters and creatures this is a great work of fantasy. Of course this tale has many messages to send us. Do not judge people by their race, to work as a team and to be strong when needed etc. and it is told so well and has a great storyline that will hook readers from the start. Potter fans may find this of interest if they are willing to go to the Vale of Malinas instead of Hogwarts.

The author originally wrote ‘The Kingdom of Malinas’ when she was 17 years old. It has been altered since then but this first book is only the start of what promises to be a great trilogy and maybe even more? The second part is called ‘The Empress Graves’ and will be the next release from this author with the final part ‘The Barbarians’ Key’ promised in the future.

The Kingdom of Malinas is available from http://stores.lulu.com/em_j
See more reviews here: www.the-kingdom-of-malinas.co.uk

2009

So it's 2009 already and is it just me or did 2008 go faster than usual? I have made a new year's resolution, although I usually don't bother, and it is to manage my time better. My CV tells me that I have 'time management skills' but I really don't think that's true... See, I always seem to end up online when I really should be doing something else. Like cleaning. Or writing.

I'm a writer. This is what I tell people. It's true, I just don't seem to get paid much for it. I'm not JK Rowling, nor do I have any desire to be whatsoever. I do have a novel out and yes, it's aimed at young adults, and yes, it is fantasy, but I'd much rather be the next Phillip Pullman or Neil Gaiman or well... the next me. Which is stupid, because I already am me.

I'm rambling already. I was talking about time management and ending up online and here I am again. Online. At least I am writing though. Technically. Although this is not fiction. I've started writing poetry lately, after telling myself for years that I didn't understand it (still not entirely sure I do!) and that I was no good at it. I've also started writing short stories. The very first one I attempted turned out pretty well and it was accepted for publication by the first magazine I sent it off to. I've been trying to get a novel published for years and yet it's my short story that gets accepted first time! *sigh* I wonder why I didn't try writing short stories sooner. It's called Club Freak, if anybody's interested and will be in Debut magazine... some time.

So what have I got to look forward to in the new year? Hopefully getting more stories published. Hopefully getting a new job, as the one I have now will only last another three months. And hopefully I'll be able to watch an episode of Lost without getting Jack-rage.

That's another thing I could rant about. Lost. But I won't...