‘Two wizards, 350 years apart. Can they save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past?’

After a lot of indecision, I finally published my first novel, Visions of Zarua, in Nov 2015. It’s a standalone, epic fantasy that has gained 30 ratings on Goodreads, 19 reviews on Amazon UK and 12 on Amazon US.

Self publishing was the realisation of a dream for me. Holding my novel in paperback gave me such a sense of achievement. I’ve been overwhelmed with the wonderful reviews and the support of the blogging community over these last two and a bit years. So much so that I jumped in and did it all again in June 2017 and have plans to publish my third book in 2018.

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I have some amazing news that I’ve been desperate to share with everyone about Visions of Zarua. Nothing has been finalised yet, but I decided as it’s #indiemarch and the prompt is to talk about your first book, that it was the perfect time to reveal what’s been going on. A few months ago I was approached by a Czech publisher who wants to publish the Czech translation of Visions of Zarua.

Once some cover issues have been sorted out, I hope to sign the contract and then maybe work can start on the translation. When I know more, I will be sure to share it. For now I’ll leave you with the blurb and a brief excerpt.

Blurb

An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?

Excerpt

As Paddren stepped through the unmanned gates of the Redstone Manor estate, a presence shrouded by darkness brushed against his mind. Sharp pain ripped through his skull and white light flashed across his vision. He staggered to a halt and dropped his pack of supplies on the cobbles as a thunderclap exploded in his head. He gripped his skull between his hands, the pain so excruciating he had to clench his teeth to stop from screaming. His mental shield began to buckle, but then the unfamiliar presence retreated as suddenly as it had arrived.
He sucked in a shaky breath and tasted the tang of blood in his mouth. A tremor quaked through his body and his hand shook as he stooped to snatch up his discarded bag.
‘Are you all right, Paddren?’ one of the baron’s stewards asked, detaching himself from the small crowd that had gathered to watch.
‘I’m fine,’ Paddren said, forcing a smile.
The onlookers began to shuffle away. Ignoring them, Paddren tried to envisage the dark presence – certain it had been searching for someone or something. Whatever its purpose, he knew he had to tell his master.

If you are interested in finding out more about Visions of Zarua, here’s the universal amazon link.

Thanks to Rebecca Howie for creating the #indiemarch tag. Check out her site here.

If you want to join in, here’s the list of daily prompts.

(I hope to join in tomorrow, but I’ll be braving the snow and heading into London for a Getting Published Day. I will catch up on Sunday if I miss out.)