Kathy Sharp's Blog - Posts Tagged "fiction"

When I first encountered the seagoing tales of the late Patrick O’Brian, some twenty years ago, the first book I read was The Nutmeg of Consolation, the fourteenth book in the series of twenty Aubrey-Maturin stories. It was the only one I could find in my local library, and I devoured it in hours. There is something to be said for reading a series in random order, and I read several more of them, moving forwards and backwards in time, before I finally got my hands on the first of the series, Master and Commander. It was an enjoyable revelation to find myself at the beginning of the story at last, and some of the details that puzzled me in the later books were explained. All in all, it was every bit as enjoyable as reading the books in their proper order in the first place.
I make this point since my new novel is soon to be published – the third in a series of three. I like to think the reader could enjoy them just as much read in any order. Indeed, beginning with the third book, All the Wild Weather, would be a good idea in many ways – the best of both worlds, really, since it’s a stand-alone story, but with all the background tales contained in the other two books. I’d be interested to know what readers think.
What’s it about? Well, here’s a summing up to whet your appetite:

Writer Paddy Fields sets out to investigate the mysterious disappearing Isle of Larus – but never dreams he will find himself helping to defend it against a seemingly unstoppable enemy. His adventures with the gentle people of Larus lead him into a profound, exciting and life-changing experience.
Can Paddy juggle fighting off rampaging pirates in the world of Larus as well as keeping the press in his own world from discovering the island’s secrets?

Adventure and gentle humour: The Larus Trilogy – Isle of Larus myBook.to/MyAmazonLinks , Sea of Clouds myBook.to/MyAmazonBooks and All the Wild Weather, to be published 11 August 2016, now available for pre-order http://amzn.to/29QyIqJ

In my new book, All the Wild Weather, writer Paddy sets out to investigate the elusive, disappearing Isle of Larus. In this extract he has his first taste of the island’s mysteries:

It was a life-changing moment, and he knew it. Paddy Fields stared at the extraordinary, and impossible, sight before him. Life-changing. He would have been very frightened indeed if he had thought it was real.
“Watch out!”
The urgent warning came too late, and he was aware of a thudding blow just above his left eye. The thought was still with him when he regained his senses. What was I thinking about? Oh, yes. Life-changing moments. Normally, they pass by unremarked. You only recognise them in retrospect, when the effects begin to show, and you trace it all back to that one moment. It was easier to ruminate on this than deal with the pain and the popping yellow lights that exploded before his eyes. But he needed a moment or two to collect his wits before he could cope with anything life-changing.
“Give me a minute,” he heard himself say aloud.
“Paddy. Paddy! Are you all right?” Maria was looking down at him. Looking worried.
“What happened? Did we…collide?”
“It was the boom – the boom hit you. I yelled, but you seemed to be staring into space.”
Paddy sat up, carefully, nursing his head. Fragments of memory were reassembling themselves. It all made perfect sense. And it made no sense at all.
“Now listen, Paddy. I’m going to take you ashore. You might be concussed.” And she set about getting the boat under way again.
Under his fingers, Paddy felt a bruised lump appearing on his forehead. Amazing how quickly that happened, straight after the impact. And there was the first problem: who would believe him? After a bump on the head you might think you’d seen any sort of odd thing, people would say. Figment of the stunned imagination, so to speak.
He watched Maria as she sailed the boat; calm, competent, business-like – and look what people had said about her, when she claimed to have seen something strange. Written her off as a nutter, and very publicly, too. She had told him she bitterly regretted saying anything at all. Well, of course. It had destroyed her sailing career. Be very careful what you say, Paddy.
Oh, he would be careful. No blurting out. He’d tell the world when he’d investigated thoroughly, answered all the questions in advance. There was much more to learn, first. But he would tell. He had seen what he had seen, and he was involved now. Nothing would stop him.
“How’s your head?”
Paddy shrugged. He wasn’t actually sure what the cranial damage was. “I saw it,” he said. “It was there. Right on the spot. Exact co-ordinates.”
Maria looked confused. “Saw it?”
“Yes. Your disappearing island. I saw it.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am,” said Paddy. “Very.”
“It’s what you were thinking about. It was on your mind.”
“Nothing wrong with my mind. I saw it, large as life. Tall cliffs. Lots of rocks. No wonder it frightened the life out of James Fortune.”
“It did more than that,” said Maria, grimly. “It cost him his place in the sailing team. It cost him a fortnight in a padded cell. It cost him twenty-four hours in a strait jacket. Poor guy. So you think carefully before you say anything, anything at all. There’s been enough damage done over this. I should never have brought you out here.”


Adventure and gentle humour: The Larus Trilogy – Isle of Larus myBook.to/MyAmazonLinks, Sea of Clouds myBook.to/MyAmazonBooks and All the Wild Weather http://amzn.to/29QyIqJ

In this extract from All the Wild Weather, writer Paddy is surprised to make the acquaintance of the Reverend Pontius, from the non-existent Isle of Larus…

Paddy found himself looking at a stocky elderly man soberly dressed in a well-worn frock coat, knee-breeches and buckled shoes, on his knees in an attitude of prayer in the middle of the floor. It was hard to say which of them looked more surprised at this turn of events.
“I didn’t see that, not really,” said Paddy, looking away. “I just needed something to happen. Talked myself into it.”
But when he looked back, it was still stubbornly set in the middle of the room. The apparition knelt there, one hand to its lips, apparently puzzled. At last it lowered the hand, got to its feet with difficulty and gave a careful bow.
“Do I have the inestimable honour of addressing the Spirit of the Sky?” it said. “I must say, your worship is not exactly what I was expecting.”
“I wasn’t expecting you, either.” Paddy wasn’t thinking very straight, but then he wasn’t accustomed to conversing with apparitions. “And I’m pretty sure I’m not your spirit.”
“Not the spirit? Then perhaps I am not dead after all,” said the spectre, patting its arms as if to make absolutely sure. “Well, indeed, I feel real enough. But if not the spirit, then who might you be, sir, if I might make so bold?”
“Patrick Fields.” Paddy rarely used his full name, but formality seemed to be called for in this company. “My mother had a sense of humour.” It usually took only a few moments for people to make the jump from Patrick to Paddy and from there to Fields.
The spectre inclined its head politely, but seemed not to get the joke.
“Master Fields. I am the Reverend Pontius, western guardian, Isle of Larus. Or possibly late of the Isle of Larus. I am not entirely sure just yet.”
Paddy felt his jaw drop so low he was expecting a thud as it collided with the floor.
The Reverend peered around the room politely, and then broke the silence. “The afterlife has a very strange aspect,” he observed. “Very strange.”
Paddy re-found his voice. “Don’t think it’s the afterlife,” he stammered. “Did you say Isle of Larus?” He was frightened to ask.
“I did. Do you know it, sir?”
“Well, I certainly know of it.”
Forgive me, sir. My curiosity gets the better of me. I have no idea how I have come to be here and make your esteemed acquaintance, which is an honour, I am sure. I have so many questions.”
Paddy nodded. “I have a few myself.”
The Reverend bowed again. “This strange, ah, arrangement can only be the doing of the Spirit of the Sky. I am sure of it. Common sense tells me you have been sent by the spirit to assist us. Do you not think?”
Paddy had no idea what to think. He closed his eyes a moment. “Let’s try and get this straight, shall we? You are the…?”
“Reverend Pontius.” Another bow.
“And you are the western…?”
“Guardian, Isle of Larus, yes.”
“And you think I have been sent to help you?”
“By the Spirit of the Sky, yes. Understand this, Master Fields, the Isle of Larus is in grave danger. We face a most severe and terrible threat. The guardians have been at their wits’ ends to know how to deal with it. In desperation I had been on my knees as you saw me, appealing to the spirit for assistance. And when I opened my eyes, here I was, and here you were. You are a gift from the spirit. No more, no less. ”

Adventure and gentle humour: The Larus Trilogy – Isle of Larus myBook.to/MyAmazonLinks , Sea of Clouds myBook.to/MyAmazonBooks and All the Wild Weather http://amzn.to/29QyIqJ