The Giant Ghost of Pont-y-Glyn

Sorry to be late with my Welsh Myths feature - I'v been busy with galleys for my forthcoming paranormal romance - I'll be able to tell you more about that soon, I hope.

The Ghost of Pont-y-Glyn

There is a picturesque glen between Corwen and Cerrig-y-Drudion, down which rushes a mountain stream, and over this stream is a bridge, called Pont-y-Glyn.  On the left hand side, a few yards from the bridge, on the Corwen side, is a yawning chasm, through which the river rushes.  Here people who have travelled by night swear they have seen ghosts—the ghosts of those who have been murdered in this secluded glen. 

A man who was a servant at Garth Meilio, said that one night, when he was returning home late from Corwen, he saw before him, seated on a heap of stones, a female dressed in Welsh costume.  He wished her good night, but she gave him no answer.  She, got up and grew to gigantic proportions as she continued down the road which she filled, so great were her increased dimensions. I'm not sure what his reaction was - if I'd been in his place I think I'd have run for home as fast as I could!

Other spirits are said to have made their homes in the hills not far from 
Pont-y-Glyn, including a ghostly mastiff.

Pont-y-Glyn is a beautiful spot - but better not to go there at night, perhaps!

THE MATCHMAKER'S MARE

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Dark Goddess - Spotlight, Review and Giveaway

This is my post during the blog tour for Dark Goddess by Kelsey Ketch. Dark Goddess is a vampiric retelling of the Eye of Ra.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 7 till 13 August. You can see the tour schedule here.

Dark Goddess (A Dark Reflections Short Story #1)
By Kelsey Ketch
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Release Date:

August 2022

(Don't forget to read down to the bottom of the post, and enter the Giveaway to win a $10 //Amazon giftcard.

Blurb:
Chaos has descended on Egypt, and the people are revolting against their immortal king. Little do they know the wrath he is about to unleash using his daughter as his weapon.

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Smashwords
- Google Play
- Apple

Other book in the series:

Dark Creation (A Dark Reflections Short Story #2)
By Kelsey Ketch
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: 30 April 2021

Blurb:
Long before Charissa began her murderous rampage through history, she was a young woman living in ancient Alexandria.

Oppressed by society and cursed by the color of her hair, Charissa had hardly seen the world beyond the four walls of her home. So, when her husband leaves for extended military duty, she takes the opportunity to tour the city her brother once loved. Little does she know the Fates have other plans in store for her when she runs into an exotic woman in the Rhakotis District. The encounter will change her life forever.

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Smashwords
- Google Play
- Apple

About the Author:
Kelsey Ketch is a young-adult/new-adult author, who works as a Wildlife Biologist and Data Analyst. During her free time, she can often be found working on her latest work in progress. She also enjoys history, mythology, traveling, and reading.

Author Links:
- Website
- Newsletter
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Pinterest
- Instagram
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Bookbub

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Dark Goddess. The author is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card (INT).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

MY REVIEW

While not the greatest fan of vampire stories, there have been one or two I really enjoyed, and I've always had a fascination with ancient Egypt, so I was very interested to read

Dark Goddess. 

Despite the occasional slightly awkward phrase,  e.g. - 'his eyes glanced at the floor', it was, on the whole,  well written with vividly described locations putting the reader right there in the Egypt the goddess Sekhmet knew. 

I learnt a lot about the customs and myths of Egypt and  although Sekhmet killed thousands of people in a blood frenzy, it is difficult not to feel a certain amount of sympathy for her. As depicted in this story, she was not really responsible, but  a victim of her father's lust for power.

A quick and enjoyable short read.

Four stars

 

 

 

 

 

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The Gwiber of Penmachno

 Hello my lovelies

I hope you're well and keeping safe. Continuing the series on Welsh mythical creatures, we're returning to the water again this week with the tale of how Wibernant (or the valley of the gwiber) near  Penmachno, got its name.

The word "gwiber" translated from the Welsh means viper or adder but centuries ago the word actually meant flying snake . This creature was similar to a dragon but not like the Graig Goch, the famous red Welsh dragon, being more serpent-like and legless.

The valley was terorised by a unique creature which was the only one in Wales that could live on land and under water. It preyed not only on the fish in the river, but also local livestock and on anyone foolish enough to cross it path.

The villagers offered a large reward to anyone who could kill he beast. A young man dcalled Owen Ap Gruffydd decided to try his luck at killing the monster.

He decided to seek the advice of a a local wise man,  Rhys Ddewin. "The gwiber is a huge winged snake, its body is slimy and it has a foul odour. It will bite you and kill you," the old man said grimly.

The next day, Owen decided to visit the wise man again . He disguised himself as a beggar, and told the old man he was about to face the gwiber, hoping to get a more favourable prediction. "You are brave but very foolish," Rhys told him. "You not succeed and will fall and break your neck."

Still not discouraged, the next day, Owen paid a third visit to Rhys, this time disguised as a miller, wearing a miller's apron and with flour on his face. He told Rhys he intended to do battle with the Gwiber. Again, Rhys told him he would not succeed and would die by drowning.

At this, Owen pulled off his apron and wiped his face in frustration, and asked Rhys to explain how he could give him three different predictions about his forthcoming fight with the Gwiber. Rhys merely smiled sadly and  said, "Time will tell".

Owen decided the old man was either senile or  just mistaken or lying to him, and bravely set off down the steep, rocky slope toward the river in search of the gwiber, swiping at the undergrowth with his sword, and yelling to the gwyber to show itself. 

All at once there was a rush of wings, a foul stench, and the moster swooped down from the sky, Before Owen could draw his sword against the beast, it pinned his arms to his sides and bit his neck. Dizzy from the odour and loss of blood, Owen lost his footing on the slippery rocks. . As he fell, he smashed into another rocky outcrop that snapped his neck, before  plunging into the river below, and drowning.

When his lifeless body was discovered shortly after, Owen's friends swore vengeance and set off kill the Gwiber. Eventually they found the Gwiber asleep on the river bank and let loose a hail of arrows that severely wounded the creature. With a blood-curdling scream, the gwiber plunged into the river and was never seen again. Some say, however, that the Gwiber’s eyes can still be seen looking up from the depths as you walk along the river bank.

FREE AUDIOBOOKS

If you'd like to listen to a book rather than read it, there are some really great books available in audio.
(You can get my own Destiny Trilogy for FREE.)

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Starquest: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=starquest
Children of the Mist: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=children+of+the+mist

Beloved Enemy:https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=Beloved+Enemy

Also try this one by the very talented Helen Johannes:

https://www.freeaudiobookcodes.com/book/4911f918-9db3-4733-867a-53e015ec3192

(If you have a free audio book you'd like me to mention, just leave a comment with an email addy so I can contact you)

 

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Welsh myths and legends - Llamhigyn Y Dwr, or the Water Leaper.

Continuing my series of weird and wonderful Welsh mythical creatures, we return to the water this week, and a creature known as Llamhigyn Y Dwr, or the Water Leaper. It is an evil creature, described as a monstrous, carnivorous toad with a long tail and  bat's wings instead of legs, having no hind legs. The tail has a sting on the end.

 It jumps across the water using its wings, hence its name.

It is especially prevalent around two Welsh lakes - Llyn Gwynan and Llyn Glas,where it preys on unwary sheep or dogs, takes the bait and fish off fishermen's hooks and can even pull the fishermen themselves into the lake,, The water leapers are fast, powerful swimmers, capable of pulling an angler out of a boat. So, if you ever go fishing in a Welsh lake, please be very, very careful!

FREE AUDIOBOOKS

If you'd like to listen to a book rather than read it, there are some really great books available in audio.
(You can get my own Destiny Trilogy for FREE.)

GET YOUR FREE CODES NOW:

Starquest: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=starquest
Children of the Mist: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=children+of+the+mist

Beloved Enemy:https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=Beloved+Enemy

Also try this one by the very talented Helen Johannes:

https://www.freeaudiobookcodes.com/book/4911f918-9db3-4733-867a-53e015ec3192

(If you have a free audio book you'd like me to mention, just leave a comment with an email addy so I can contact you)

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Welsh Myths and Legends - the Welsh dragon

Hello again, and if I have any male readers - I hope you had a truly loving and happy Father's Day.

In my series on Welsh myths and legends, the last few weeks have been devoted to mythical legends. It would be very remiss of me not to mention the famous Welsh dragon - Y Graig Goch - which appears on the Welsh flag. (LOL not many countries have a dragon on their flag, do they!)

You might be surprised that it relates to the Arthurian legends.

King Vortigern came to the mountains of Eryri, in Gwynedd. On the summit of one of these, which was then called Dinas Ffaraon, he decided to build a fortress.

Then the king sent for artificers, carpenters, and stonemasons, and collected all the materials for building. In the night, however,they all disappeared. Materials were procured from all parts a second time, but a second time they disappeared in the night. A third time everything was brought together for building, but by morning again not a trace of them remained.

Vortigern called his wise men together and they told him he must find a child born without a father, put him to death, and sprinkle with his blood the ground on which the citadel was to be built.

The king thought the advice of his wise men was good and sent messengers throughout Britain in search of a child born without a father.When they eventually found one, they took him to Vortigern the king.

The boy asked why he had been brought before the king and when they told him he was to be sacrificed to enable Vortigern to build a fortress, he told the king his wise men were wrong and that there was a pool beneath the ground where they were trying to build. In the pool were two vases and in the vases a tent.  in the tent were two sleeping dragons, one white and one red.

The dragons fought each other, and the eventually the red one won the battle and drove the white one away.

The boy told the king and his wise men that the pool was the emblem of this world, and the tent that of Vortigern's kingdom. The red dragon was the king's, but the white serpent was the dragon of the Saxons,  At length, however, his people would rise and drive the Saxon race beyond the sea. But he must seek another place to build his citadel.

The boy's life was spared. He became famous as the great magician Myrddin Emrys , or Myrddin ab Morfryn (Merlin, as he is called in English), and the mountain on which he proved his mighty power was called  Dinas Emrys instead of Dinas Ffaraon.  Thereafter the red dragon became the symbol of Wales and portrayed on the Welsh flag.

FREE AUDIOBOOKS
 If you're at a loose end in these strange and rather scary times, there are many great books out there to be read, so why no try a new author.
If you'd like to listen to a book rather than read it, again there are some really great books available in audio.
(You can get my own Destiny Trilogy for FREE.)


GET YOUR FREE CODES NOW:
Starquest: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=starquest
Children of the Mist: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=children+of+the+mist
Beloved Enemy:https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=Beloved+Enemy

 



For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Welsh myths and legends Y Ceffyl Dŵr the water horse

After the tale of Rhiannon, the goddess of the horse, which I told you about a few weeks ago, I thought I'd mention one of the mythical creatures of Wales, the Ceffyl Dŵr, literally translated into English this means the 'Water Horse'.

Tales of this creature, which appears as a white horse (for some reason most mythological horses seem to be white, although when I was learning to ride as a child, I was taught that there are no such things as 'white' horses, only 'light greys, or albinos, but I digress.) Depending on which region of Wales one hears the stories, the Ceffyl Dŵr was believed to shapeshift, as well as having the power of flight. For example, in North Wales, it is represented as being rather formidable with fiery eyes and a dark foreboding presence, whereas in South Wales is seen as merely mischievous. She also is known to walk on her hind legs and disappear down the well in the graveyard of St Illtyds church in Oxwich Bay, or to simply evaporate into the sea mist. Over the centuries there have been many sightings of Ceffyl Dwr mostly around St Illtyds church.

The Ceffyl Dŵr is said to inhabit mountain pools and waterfalls and although it appears solid, it can evaporate into a mist. In one legend the Ceffyl Dŵr leaps out of the water to trample and kill lone travellers. In another legend, the Ceffyl Dŵr rises from the sea and entices the unwary traveler to ride her, then takes to the  air, and evaporates, and the unfortunate rider falls to his death.
Hmm, rather glad not to have met any horses quite like that, in real life!

FREE AUDIOBOOKS
 If you're at a loose end in these strange and rather scary times, there are many great books out there to be read, so why no try a new author.
If you'd like to listen to a book rather than read it, again there are some really great books available in audio.
(You can get my own Destiny Trilogy for FREE.)


GET YOUR FREE CODES NOW:
Starquest: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=starquest
Children of the Mist: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=children+of+the+mist
Beloved Enemy:https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/?q=Beloved+Enemy

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

More Welsh folk tales and legends - Rhiannon the horse goddess

Apologies for missing my post last week - its been somewhat hectic as my husband has been in hospital (thankfully not the virus, and he's out now) but it's been a worrying time and I just haven't had the time to devote to my writing or my blog. Anyway, I'm back now, and as  a horse lover, I couldn't resist telling you about Rhiannon - a horse goddess depicted in the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh folk tales.

Rhiannon was married to Pwyll, the Lord of Dyfed. When Pwyll first saw her, she appeared as a beautiful woman dressed in gold, riding a magnificent white horse. Rhiannon managed to outrun Pwyll for three days, and then when he shouted to her to stop, allowed him to catch up. When he said he'd fallen in love with her and wanted to marry her, she scolded him for not telling her  to stop before, and making his poor horse work so hard. Then she said she'd be happy to marry him, because it would save her from marrying Gwawl, who she despised and who had tricked her into an engagement. Rhiannon and Pwyll conspired together to deceive Gwawl and thus Pwyll won her as his bride. 

Three years after they married,  Rhiannon gave birth to a son, but he disappeared at night while his nursemaids, who were supposed to have been watching over him, fell asleep. Frightened of the consequences, the nursemaids smeared the blood of a dead puppy on the face of their sleeping queen. When she awoke, Rhiannon was accused of killing and her son and eating him. As penance, she was made to sit outside the castle walls, and tell passers by what she had done. Pwyll, however, stood by her,  refusing to send her away or have her more severely punished.

The newborn child had been in fact found by Teyrnon, the lord of Gwent-Is-Coed. He was a horse lord whose beautiful mare gave him a foal every May Eve, but  each year. the foal would disappear. Before his mare had her next foal he took her into his house and sat vigil with her. After her foal was born he saw a monstrous claw trying to take the newborn foal through the window, so he slashed at the monster with his sword, before rushing outside. He found the monster gone, and a human baby lying by the door. He and his wife cared for the boy as their own, naming him Gwri Wallt Euryn (Gwri of the Golden Hair). The child grew rapidly, and had a great affinity for horses. As the boy grewTeyrnon who once served Pwyll as a courtier, recognised his resemblance to his father. He was an honourable man, and so he returned the boy to the Dyfed royal house.

Rhiannon is also connected to three mystical birds. The Birds of Rhiannon (Adar Rhiannon) appear in the Second Branch, in the Triads of Britain, and in Culhwch ac Olwen. In the latter, the giant Ysbaddaden demands them as part of the bride price of his daughter. They are described as "they that wake the dead and lull the living to sleep."

FREE AUDIOBOOKS
 If you're at a loose end in these strange and rather scary times, there are many great books out there to be read, try a new author.

If you'd like to listen to a book rather than read it, again there are some really great books available in audio.
(You can get my own Destiny Trilogy for FREE.)


GET YOUR FREE CODES NOW:
Starquest: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=2735
Children of the Mist: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=3339 
Beloved Enemy:https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=3285




For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

More ghosts of old Wales

 Hi folks, hope you're keeping safe and not going too crazy with social distancing!
(You might want to keep your distance from these ghosts though!)


 THE GHOST OF LLANDEGLA

 A small river runs close to the secluded village of Llandegla, and in this mountain stream under a huge stone lies a wicked Ghost. This is how he came to be there:

It  not is not known why Ffrith farm was troubled by a ghost, but when the servants were busily engaged in cheese making the Spirit would suddenly throw earth or sand into the milk, and thus spoil the curds. The dairy was also visited by the ghost, and there he played havoc with the milk and dishes. He sent the pans, one after the other, around the room, and dashed them to pieces. The terrible doings of the ghost was a topic of general conversation in those parts.

The farmer offered a reward of five pounds to anyone who would lay the Spirit. One Sunday afternoon,  an aged priest visited the farm yard, and in the presence of a crowd of spectators exorcised the ghost, but without effect.

The farmer then sent for Griffiths, an Independent minister at Llanarmon, who enticed the ghost to the barn. The ghost then changed its appearance to the form of a lion, but  could not touch Griffiths, because he stood in the centre of a circle, over which the lion could not pass. Griffiths tricked the ghost  into appearing in a less formidable shape, and it changed into a mastiff, but Griffiths demanded that it change to something smaller.

At last, the ghost appeared as a fly, which was captured by Griffiths and secured in his tobacco box.  This box he buried under a large stone in the river, just below the bridge, near the Llandegla Mills, and there the Spirit is forced to remain until a certain tree, which grows by the bridge, reaches the height of the parapet. When this takes place, the Spirit shall have power to regain his liberty.  To prevent this tree from growing, the school children, even to this day, nip the upper branches to limit its upward growth.

THE GHOSTLY GIANT OF PONT-Y-GLYN

There is a picturesque glen between Corwen and Cerrig-y-Drudion, down which rushes a mountain stream, and over this stream is a bridge, called Pont-y-Glyn.  On the left hand side, a few yards from the bridge, on the Corwen side, is a yawning chasm, through which the river bounds.  Here people who have travelled by night affirm that they have seen ghosts—the ghosts of those who have been murdered in this secluded glen. A man who was a servant at Garth Meilio, said that one night, when he was returning home late from Corwen, he saw before him, seated on a heap of stones, a female dressed in Welsh costume.  He wished her good night, but she returned him no answer.  She, got up and grew to gigantic proportions as she continued down the road which she filled, so great were her increased dimensions. Other Spirits are said to have made their homes in the hills not far from Pont-y-Glyn.

and finally...
FREE AUDIOBOOKS
 If you're at a loose end in these strange and rather scary times, there are so many great books out there to be read, try a new author. If you'd like to listen to a book rather than read it, You can get my Destiny Trilogy for FREE.

GET YOUR FREE CODES NOW:
Starquest: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=2735
Children of the Mist: https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=3339 
Beloved Enemy:https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=3285https://freeaudiobookcodes.com/book_details.php?BOOK_ID=3285

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Myths and legends of Wales - Dwynwen

I've decided to make Monday a day for relating legends and stories of my homeland, Wales.

Last week I posted about St David, Wales' Patron Saint. This week, I thought I'd tell you about another Saint, this time a woman, St Dwynwen. I know it's a little late, but she is actually the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine.

                        

January 25th is St Dwynwen's Day - the Welsh Valentine's Day!

There are several legends about St Dwynwen, this is one of the most popular:

Dwynwen was the beautiful daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog. She fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else. Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. He then gave three wishes to Dwynwen.
Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry.

Dwynwen became a nun, fulfilling her wish to never marry, and left for the island of Anglesey to build a Church. This is referred to as Llanddwynwen, literally meaning 'Church of Dwynwen'.

Isn't that a romantic (if rather sad) story?

Belated Happy St Dwynwen's Day!

The lighthouse and cross at Llanddwynwen

(Picture courtesy of Wikipaedia)

                                                       

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Y'Keta - Book Tour and #Giveaway

Y'keta

The
Sky Road Trilogy Book 1

by
Sandra Hurst

Genre:
Epic Fantasy

Banished.

Cast out. Powerless. Y’keta is exiled to the small village of Esquialt as his father's punishment for his rebellious spirit.

Village tradition gives him one Cycle, from spring to spring, to earn the right to stay. 


The  villagers have a legend about mighty beings called the Waki'tani,  mythical lords of the wind and lightning who can shapeshift into human form. Y'keta knows the truth behind these stories. Could there  be more to them than just tales shared around the campfire?


If Y'keta reveals what he knows to the villagers, it will tear their history and traditions apart...but sharing his secrets may be their only hope for survival when Esquialt is threatened by the brutal, ferociously destructive Utlaak. 

Loosely based on the Thunderbird of North American legend, Y'keta is an epic

fantasy set in an ancient world where legends walk and the Sky Road

offers a way to the stars. 

*Goodreads
* Amazon

EXCERPT

D’vhan held out a wrinkled hand to the dejected Kit’na. “If you agree to be honest, with yourself and with me, I will count you as one of my warriors.” 

Grasping Y’keta’s wrist, D’vhan pulled with surprising strength, yanking the younger man to his feet and almost tumbling him into the surf. “You have a lot to learn about our ways. It will not be easy to put your pride away and learn as an adult what you should have learned as a child; but if you are willing, I will teach.” 

Y’keta grasped D’vhan's arm, forearm to forearm in the way he’d seen other warriors in the village greet each other. “I promise,” he said, “I will try.” 

The grizzled hand clapped Y’keta on the shoulder and gave him an ungentle shove towards the forest. “Let's get back to work then, young hatchling. Laban and Ren are not far ahead of us.” 

“But didn't you say we would meet up on the beach at sundown?” Y'keta queried. 

“Laban and Ren will head towards the beach for nightfall,” D'vhan agreed, “but if they found anything in the forest, I want to see it before dark.” 

“You sneaky old crow,” Y’keta spluttered. “You planned this just to find out about me!”

 “Exactly,” D’vhan cackled, the beads sparkling in his hair as he laughed. “Be wary of old crows. We are not as quick to fight as you young hawks, but infinitely more devious. 

(D’vhan; Y’keta – The Sky Road Trilogy, Book 1) 

Hi,
my name is Sandra Hurst, the author of the Sky Road fantasy
series.

As a child growing up in England stories and legends surrounded me, I learned how important imagination was. When I was 8, we moved to northern Canada and the legends changed. Stories of the  Fae and the little people were replaced by legends of the Thunderbird  and stories of the woodlands. I never stood a chance. What could I be  but a writer?

Growing  up in Northern Alberta gave me a great love and respect for the wild  lands and indigenous cultures which made its way into the worlds I  create. A  mythmaker at heart, I started writing poetry in middle school and  graduated to epic fantasy.Myths  give us a way to interpret the world past our normal experience. To  ask questions and explore answers in a larger-than-life game of ‘what  if.’ We need to make room for myths and mythmakers in our fact  driven world. To give space for worlds that are brighter and clearer  than our own. For it is in doing so, that we have room to become more  fully human.

My  first book, Y’keta,  is loosely based on the Thunderbird of North American legend, Y'keta is a Young Adult, high fantasy set in an ancient world where legends walk and the Sky Road  offers a way to the stars.

I  now live in Calgary, Alberta with my husband and son, both of whom I love dearly, and have put for sale on e-bay when their behaviour  demanded it. My day to day life is a balance between my outside life  as a paralegal counsellor and my inner life as an author/poet. In  between, I work on courses to improve my writing, learning the Cree  Language, book reviews and blogging on my website, and studying  mythologies from around the world.

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And now, a short interview with Sandra herself.

 Hi, thank you for the opportunity to talk to you and your readers today!

Where were you born/grew up at? 

I grew up in England, surrounded by old Celtic and Arthurian stories and legends, learning from them how important imagination was. When I was 8, we moved to northern Canada and the legends changed. Stories of the Fae and the little people were replaced by legends of the Thunderbird and stories of the woodlands. I never stood a chance. What could I be but a writer?

I now live in Calgary, Alberta with my husband and son, both of whom I love dearly, and have put up for sale on e-bay when their behaviour demanded it. My day to day life is a balance between my outside life as a paralegal counsellor and my inner life as an author/poet. In between writing projects, I work on improving my craft, study the Cree Language and aboriginal history, write book reviews, try to keep my blog current, and study mythologies from around the world.


 What are some of your pet peeves? 

I’m a fairly patient person, but these are my ‘hot buttons.’ I probably won’t tell you that they are ticking me off, but go far enough and you will see an explosion of biblical proportions:

1. • Drama – People who splash their private issues all over social media
2. • Fake anger – I’ll talk to anyone about anything, but talk to me, don’t just throw Reactionary rhetoric and nasty pictures at each other.
3. • Small talk – I know that the getting to know you stuff has to happen, but let’s get past it. PLEASE.
4. • Electronics – There is nothing as completely rude as pulling out a cell phone or tablet and completely ignoring the people you are with.

If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? 

If I knew that the world would end tomorrow I think that I’d want to spend my last day camping. I can’t think of a better way to spend my last hours than with my family beside a campfire, listening to the sounds of the loons in the night.


What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? 

When I was little, we had a burgundy set of children’s encyclopaedias and I would pick out stories and poems from them to put on performances in the living room, insisting that my family listen to the stories and legends that I had read. I grew up on the stories of Robin Hood, King Arthur, and the Fae. What else could I ever be?

I write because the words are my way of exploring a world I can’t see. I’m a mythmaker, there is nothing that gives me more creative juice than asking a question and then building a world to find the answer. Myths and fantasy give us the opportunity to look at ourselves in new and often unusual ways, to play a huge game of ‘what if’ and see where the answers will fall.

My mind isn't healthy if I’m not writing, it really isn’t a choice for me.

Thank you  Sandra. I'm a Celt from Wales and was also brought up with a wealth of myths and legends. I also love the Native American legends and your book sounds wonderful and inspiring and I wish you every success with it.

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