A local author has realised a life-long dream and has self-published his debut novel. Inspired by stories such as Lord of the Rings, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and even Harry Potter, John Bright has finally put pen to paper to write his fantasy novel, ‘The Riddle, The Stones and The Sorcerer’.
After semi-retiring, the 61-year-old had more time available to be creative and to write. ‘Creativity ebbs and flows’ as he would put it. Though he still volunteers for Dogs Trust on Fridays and performs landlord duties on one of his properties.
The story follows siblings Milly and Archie as they move into an old manor house nearby the eerie ruins of Greyfriar’s Castle. They find riddles, lost magic and long-forgotten legends.
Everything changes when they find an ancient book hidden in the basement. An evil power has awakened threatening the world. The balance between light and dark is crumbling.
Milly and Archie, along with their friends Lucas and Olly must embark on a quest that will test their courage, wit and trust in each other to retrieve three lost Stones to banish this evil for good.
John is a self-published novel, through Gatekeeper Books, which was released on the 21st of March on Amazon and he’s already writing the sequel which he hopes to have finished by the end of this year.
John said he was influenced by several popular books. He said: "As a child I was always fascinated by stories such as Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
"Basically, anything that took one into a fantasy realm filled with adventure. I have always had a vivid imagination and taste for adventure.This book was inspired by a dream I had that was so clear I actually got up in the middle of the night to write down the plot.
"The old stories of the Cairns in Scotland always stuck with me and I have always imagined that beneath the cairns lay many untold secrets. The secret chambers I refer to in the book are inspired by that vision."
The Riddle, The Stone and The Sorcerer is John's first novel, as although he has always liked to write, he says he "never had that much spare time", as he runs his own business.
John explained the hardest part of writing the book was concentration. He said: "Although I love to write I have a hyper personality and find it very hard to focus on one thing for any length of time. Once I sat down, the ideas were clear in my head and I spent a few hours writing."
"It's never too late", is a message John wants to give to other authors, as he believes "you're never too old". " If you have an idea, and you love to write, don't hesitate to begin the journey," he said. "Seeing your book in print is an amazing experience."
The reception for ‘The Riddle, the Stones and the Sorcerer’ has been well received on Amazon, with six five-star ratings. Sheila M said: "I love books that spark imagination while teaching meaningful lessons—The Riddle, The Stones And The Sorcerer delivers both beautifully.
"This enchanting tale follows four young children as they unravel the mystery of of an ancient legend, leading them into a world of magic, hidden realms, and a dark force threatening to consume it all. It’s ideal to read with children or just enjoy it by yourself. Highly recommend."
Mr Pitts wrote: "Evenings sat with my eight-year-old reading this together have been such good times as we have lived and discussed the adventures of the characters together. Such a good read and a great bonding experience. Thank you."
You can find ‘The Riddle, the Stones, and the Sorcerer’ on Amazon.
