Ideas to books Archives

Cover of Weaving Hope on a tablet: A man and woman in 1920s informal clothing are silhouetted on a bright pink background shading to purple. She is holding out a length of cloth to him, showing him something, with phlox flowers inset in the upper right corner. The tablet is lying on a garden path with greenery and small flowers.

Ideas to book: Weaving Hope

June 10, 2025 / Ideas to books, Mysterious Arts

Explore the ideas behind Weaving Hope: tapestries, manor houses, andbuilding a better life after the Great War. (And a moment of quiet).

Weaving Hope

Cover of Eclipse displayed on a tablet, resting on a pine bough, surrounded by wood five-pointed stars.

Characters and songs

June 3, 2025 / Albion, Ideas to books

Four songs illuminating characters from my books – Orion, Isembard, Gabe, and Hereswith.

Eclipse, Grown Wise, Illusion of a Boar, Mysterious Fields, Old As The Hills, Upon A Summer's Day

Enchanted Net: A silhouetted man and woman in Victorian dress stand with their backs to the viewer. She is holding a glass of wine as they look toward each other. The background is a purple damask, crossed by pipes and gears and a streak of lightning, with a book inset in the top left corner. The tablet is set on a wood table, with a coffee mug and fallen leaves.

Idea to book: Mysterious Fields trilogy

April 15, 2025 / Ideas to books

The ideas behind the Mysterious Fields trilogy: the Fortier and Landry families, why this story needed three books, and the implications for the family in the 1940s.

Elemental Truth, Enchanted Net, Grown Wise, Mysterious Fields, Silent Circuit

Albion: The original inspiration

April 8, 2025 / Albion, Ideas to books

All about the original inspiration for Albion and my writing – a chance comment about the Wars of the Roses and exploring different kinds of stories.

Carillon Family, Eclipse, Goblin Fruit

Cover of Facets of the Bench: two people in 1920s clothing silhouetted, the man in a wheelchair with forearm crutches visible. She's handing him a necklace, with a jet pendant inset in the top right corner.

Idea to Book: Facets of the Bench

March 18, 2025 / Ideas to books

The ideas behind Facets of the Bench: Whitby jet, building a good life as an ambulatory wheelchair user, and Griffin’s love of Trellech.

Facets of the Bench

Cover of The Magic of Four on a tumble of smoothed rocks. Four students in silhouette on a blue background of a map off the west coast of Wales. Three stand around a table, the fourth is perched on the near corner, leaning forward and gesturing.

Idea to Book: The Magic of Four

May 15, 2024 / Ideas to books, Land Mysteries

Find out the ideas behind The Magic of Four: a love of classic school stories, exploring a second generation of characters, Schola and her magic. And oh, yes. Horses.

Best Foot Forward, Casting Nasturtiums, Chasing Legends, Eclipse, Goblin Fruit, Old As The Hills, Outcrossing, Pastiche, The Magic of Four, Wards of the Roses

Cover of Perfect Accord: a man and woman in 1920s dress silhouetted on the cover: she is testing perfume he just handed her on her wrist.

Idea to Book : Perfect Accord

May 1, 2024 / Ideas to books

A look behind the ideas that led to Perfect Accord: alchemical perfumes, Charlotte Edgarton’s story, and the question of cults (with some extremely bad Arthuriana trappings).

Perfect Accord

Shoemaker's Wife against a purple twilight sky with stars and silhouetted grass. The cover of Shoemaker's Wife has a man and woman in silhouette on a vibrant background of green shading through blue to purple. The woman is standing on one foot with one hand in the air, lifting the other and looking over her shoulder at the shoe while the man looks on. A purple 1920s shoe with a big blue ribbon bow is inset in the top right corner.

Idea to Book: Shoemaker’s Wife

April 10, 2024 / Ideas to books

The ideas behind Shoemaker’s Wife: returning from the Great War, theatre in Albion, and making connections in Trellech.

Shoemaker's Wife

A copy of Bound for Perdition standing upright next to a stack of leather bound books and a pocketwatch. The cover of Bound for Perdition has a man and woman silhouetted in dark brown on a green and brown background, with the woman holding a book while the man gestures. An open blank book and pen are inset in the top right corner.

Idea to Book: Bound for Perdition

March 27, 2024 / Ideas to books

Dive into the ideas that led to Bound for Perdition: Albion’s magical journals and bookbinding, Temple and Delphina Carillon, and the consequences of new technology.

Bound for Perdition

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.

Idea to Book: Three Graces

March 20, 2024 / Ideas to books

Learn about the ideas behind Three Graces: a longstanding mystery about Temple Carillon, three women with different skills, and moving forward in the aftermath of the second world war.

Ancient Trust, Three Graces

Illusion of a Boar on a pale background with a woven wicker heart. Cover of Illusion of a Boar: Two silhouetted men and women standing at a table, on a ground of deep gold with an astrological chart behind them.

Idea to Book: Illusion of a Boar

March 6, 2024 / Ideas to books

What’s behind Illusion of a Boar? Two sets of chosen siblings, a historical reference, a major military deception, and different ways of being neurodiverse in the world.

Eclipse, Illusion of a Boar

Upon A Summer's Day displayed on a tablet in a sunset scene looking out across water to fields beyond, all of it glowing golden and sparkling with magic. The cover of Upon A Summer's Day shows a man in a suit silhouetted over a map of northern Wales in a muted green. He is gesturing, holding his cane in one hand, a cap on his head. Behind him is an astrological chart, with Jupiter and Saturn highlighted in the sign of Taurus.

Idea to Book: Upon A Summer’s Day

February 28, 2024 / Ideas to books

All about the reasons Upon A Summer’s Day exists in the world: Gabriel Edgarton in all his glory, a dance, and a Council Challenge.

Old As The Hills, Upon A Summer's Day

Old As The Hills sitting on a bouquet of flowers - rosses, sweetpeas, and others, on a whitewashed bench with honey, tea, and other summery things. The cover of Old As The Hills has a man with a can and a woman silhouetted on a green ground with a map. She holds out her hand, he is putting something into it, forming a doorway between them. An astrological chart behind them shows the symbols for Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn highlighted behind a splash of glowing stars.

Ideas To Book: Old As The Hills

February 21, 2024 / Ideas to books

The ideas that made Old As The Hills come to life: a loving marriage, writing closer to history, and a conversation with a particular bit of esoteric history.

Old As The Hills, The Fossil Door, Upon A Summer's Day

Nocturnal Quarry displayed on a tablet lying on a bed of smooth river rocks.

Idea to Book : Nocturnal Quarry

February 7, 2024 / Ideas to books

The ideas behind Nocturnal Quarry are all about Alexander Landry. Well, Alexander in his element, tying up a few loose ends, and family of choice and blood.

Best Foot Forward, Nocturnal Quarry

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