Half way through my leg of the indie blog tour, before I hand over to my colleague, Kate M Colby, http://katemcolby.com. Today I welcome fantasy writer, Helen Jones. She grew up in Coventry, England, then moved to Canada and Australia before coming back to the UK. She now lives in Hertfordshire and loves to write, dance, study and paint, seeking pathways beyond the everyday. She’s worked many jobs, from martial arts instructor to photography producer, but writing has turned out to be her absolute favourite one of all. She’s written for several publications and blogs in Australia and the UK. Oak and Mist is her debut novel:

‘The end of everything? Great, no pressure then.’
A young girl witnesses a strange event in the woods at her local park. Five years later, in the same place, she is attacked and pushed between two trees… then disappears. She reappears in Ambeth, a land of great beauty, where a gleaming palace sits between mountains and sea. Inhabited by ancient lords of Light and Dark, it’s a place where appearance has no bearing on one’s true nature. And they are expecting her.

According to a prophecy carved into the wall of their Great Hall, Alma is destined to find a lost Sword, Cup and Crown, restoring the Balance of good and evil in the world. But all she wants to do is go home, despite her new friend Caleb offering his help. Still, she promises to return, intrigued by the handsome High King Thorion, as well as the time-twisting possibilities.

But as she moves between the worlds it becomes harder and harder to keep up her double life – her parents are suspicious, her best friend annoyed, and keeping up with homework is a drag. Plus there’s the mystery of her bracelet, gift from her dead father, which turns out to be more than she ever imagined. When a Dark Prince takes an interest in her, things become even more complicated.

The weight of destiny and the possibility of choice come together as Alma finds her way through a world at once unfamiliar and like home.

 Prequels/Sequels: No Quarter (available now), Hills And Valleys (March 2016)

What was the inspiration behind your book?
I’ve always felt the woods are full of stories. The park in my books is a real place, near to where I grew up. And, when I was a child, I did hear a scream in a mysterious valley – I never found out what it was, but the moment stayed with me and became the basis for this story.

Who is your favorite character?
Hmm. That changes, depending on which part of the story I’m writing. At the moment I’m editing book three and working on book four, so I would say that it’s Deryck. His story arc is quite sad, and it’s been interesting exploring his reaction to something that changed his world quite dramatically (no spoilers!).

What is one thing you want readers to know or “get” about your book?
Even though each book is written as a stand-alone, they are all part of a larger story. One reviewer wrote about the first book that ‘few things mentioned in Oak and Mist could be dismissed as trivial.’ This is absolutely true – there are links in each story connecting it to the next.

Who is your ideal reader? Or, who will enjoy your book?
I wrote the books targeting a YA audience, and I’ve certainly had good feedback from that age group. However, I’m finding readers of all ages are enjoying the story, which is great.

What three writing tips do you have for aspiring authors?
1. Read   2. Write   3. Edit
Seriously, that’s what you need to do. Over and over. And, if you’re actually writing stories, you’re no longer ‘aspiring.’

Where can readers buy your book?
My books are available through Amazon as a paperback or e-book version. Here’s the universal link: myBook.to/oakandmist

Where can readers learn more about you

I blog at www.journeytoambeth.com

I’m on Facebook at Author Helen Jones https://www.facebook.com/authorhelenjones

I’m on Twitter as @AuthorHelenJ   And you can find me on Goodreads as well.