Wanneer een jonge verpleegster een baan aanvaardt in een voormalig militair hospitaal, ontdekt ze een familiegeheim en komen de spookachtige bewoners haar iets te bekend voor.
De in Engeland geboren A. L. Butcher is een fervent lezer en schepper van werelden, een dichter, en een dromer, een liefhebber van wetenschap, natuurgeschiedenis, geschiedenis, en apen. Haar proza is beschreven als ‘donker en gruizig’ en haar poëzie als ‘evocatief’. Ze schrijft met een zekere en soms erotische gevoeligheid over dingen die hadden kunnen zijn, nooit waren, maar zouden kunnen zijn.
Alex is de auteur van de Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles en de Tales of Erana lyrische fantasy serie. Ze heeft ook verschillende korte verhalen in de fantasy, fantasy romance genres met af en toe een uitstapje naar gothic style horror, inclusief de Legacy of the Mask serie. Met een achtergrond in politiek, klassieke studies, oude geschiedenis en mythe, zorgen haar affiniteiten voor een eclectische en unieke smaak in haar werk, waarbij realiteit en droom in alchemistische verhoudingen worden vermengd die haar personages en werelden tot leven brengen.
Ze is ook curator van speculatieve fictie themabundels op BundleRabbit – voor het grootste deel de Here Be Series
Alex is er ook trots op schrijver te zijn voor Perseid Press, waar haar werk te lezen is in Heroika: Dragon Eaters, Heroika Skirmishers – waar ze redacteur en omslagontwerper en schrijver was; en Lovers in Hell – deel van de veelgeprezen Heroes in Hell-serie. http://www.theperseidpress.com/
Onderscheidingen: Outside the Walls, mede geschreven met Diana L. Wicker ontving in 2017 een Chill with a Book Reader’s Award.
NN Light Book Heaven awards:
De keukenimps en andere duistere verhalen won beste fantasy van 2018
Duistere verhalen over oorlogsspoken, bloed uit de Herfst van Terreur, de toorn van de natuur, een ongewone moord en een cynische vampier. Verwrongen poëzie van verlies en chaos. Wat volwassen thema’s en taalgebruik.
A dark poetry duology: war, politics, life, loss, nature and the vagaries of life feature in this special two-book collection. Featuring – Shattered Mirror – A poetry collection & Beyond the Shattered Mirror
Welcome to a little excerpt from The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book I
Excerpt 1 – Dii
Dii walked through the day, stopping only to refill her water-skin from a spring. The day had turned out to be overcast and the air was heavy with the tension of a storm hanging over the land. Heavyset big-horned sheep populated the surrounding countryside; hardy and excellent providers of meat, cheese and wool that was surprisingly soft to have come from such tough, belligerent beasts. Trees covered the land to the east, not quite fertile enough for grain or barley but ideal for the orchards and forests that provided for these lands. As she walked, the hills began to roll steeper. The horizon boded storm clouds and any canny folk, Witch or not, could foresee the storm approaching. Every mile she walked was further from her Keeper’s land.
As evening approached, the road forked, and the rain began to fall in huge, cold drops that chilled the blood and saturated a person to the skin. She was aware some mages could control the weather, calling and dismissing storms and remaining dry in the rain. Dii, however, was young and inexperienced, and did not know such useful spells. She hesitated, unsure; she could try to camp, although she had little food remaining in her bag and knew her tent would not protect her from a storm or high winds. She had passed a farmhouse some way back and contemplated returning to shelter in the barn, yet she did not wish to be caught stealing apples or eggs and, not knowing the sympathies of the farm folk, she was reluctant to beg for food. The other choice was the elf could risk the village she could see on the horizon, which would provide her at least with a hot meal, a warm fire and a bed more comfortable than a hayloft or bedroll. Being a healer, Dii knew the risks of such weather, and of prolonged exposure to cold and damp. She knew also the danger of one such as her seeking accommodation, but at this moment, she was too cold and wet to care; weather such as this could kill. It was worth the risk for a night or two. Hopefully, if she was cautious, the village should be safe enough.
The storm began to rumble and roll, the symphony of the gods beginning to boil like a cauldron. Quickening her pace, the young elf hoped no other souls were out in the storm. Looking around she saw the pear, apple and plum orchards to the east of the village. Much of the fruit had gone but a few trees still bore laden branches amongst the brown and red leaves. The storm would bring death for some of them and possibly ruin the last fruiting for the rest. Resisting the temptation to fill her pockets with the fruit, she simply plucked a couple of the juiciest ones to quiet her rumbling belly.
Dii smiled sadly when she remembered her foster mother’s fruit pie. Dii had learned much from Malana, not just some of her magical training, unofficially of course as that was forbidden. Malana was the best cook and best herbalist in the area and although she was the lord’s mistress, she was also a midwife. Often the villagers appealed to her when the other midwives had failed or were unavailable. A few times, Dii had been given permission to attend, escorted of course. The first time she had marvelled at the sight of new life arriving in such a fashion, the joy, the pain, often the blood. She had watched and then assisted, pleased to be able to help with bringing new life into the light. She remembered Joset had not been pleased she had attended, feeling it unsuitable for her, but Malana had somehow persuaded him. Perhaps it had simply been another use of her skills for which she would receive payment to fill the lord’s coffers. The ability to be an excellent cook and a well-trained herbalist, not to mention his favourite bed warmer, were solid reasons why Joset kept her foster mother around. Nasty and manipulative he may be, foolish he was not. Dii knew to her cost that he would not waste a good source of income and entertainment. Malana also believed herself, as a bound concubine and Kept, to be in no position to be elsewhere. In her way, she loved him, although Dii had never understood why. Perhaps he had once been a different man; as a mage, Malana would have been bound in the prison beyond the Enclave, unless she was very clever or very lucky. A mage would be bound with the feared Shackles: cruel, draining of magic and often fatal. Standing at the fork of the road, Dii was afraid and unsure, then a rumble of thunder reminded her of why she must risk her new-found freedom, and perhaps her life.
Adult rated #fantasy (contains violence and sexy scenes). Universal Link – ebook, audiobook, hardback, audiobook, large print.
I’m contemplating offering signed copies of my print books (including large print). Possibly with merchandise. Payment would be through paypal. Postage would be dependent on the timescale you wanted the book and where you lived but I could give you an amount at the time of enquiry. Please complete the poll above – it’s only worth doing this if enough people are interested.
Wanneer het tij van de oorlog vloeit, wie zal dan in zijn kielzog worden gevangen? Een kort fantasieverhaal over de vastberadenheid van een vrouw in tijden van oorlog.
Quando o assassinato e o mistério começam na Opera House uma mulher sabe quem está por trás disso, e o que realmente está sob a máscara. Segredos, mentiras e tragédias cantam uma canção poderosa neste conto “poderia ter sido”.
Madame Giry encontra-se envolvido na tragédia que se desenrola na Casa de Ópera; mistério e assassinato perseguem os corredores e, dizem, um fantasma assombra o lugar. Giry sabe a verdade, pois ela se lembra do homem enjaulado que conheceu há tantos anos. Esta é a história dela, a história deles.
Quando o assassinato e o mistério começam na Opera House uma mulher sabe quem está por trás disso, e o que realmente está sob a máscara. Segredos, mentiras e tragédias cantam uma canção poderosa neste conto “poderia ter sido”.
Uma curta e trágica história baseada em personagens de Fantasma da Ópera.
Love across time and space, in lands of magic and mayhem, sizzling sorcery, fairy-tale retellings and classic twists, lonely fae, passionate Vikings and demigods searching for their magic in a land of mortals. Love, passion, and magic in a fantasy/sci romance/paranormal romance bundle from:
I had all sorts of plans in 2020. Didn’t everyone?
Stress does not help with the writing process. Some people thrive on stress – I am not one of those people. I looked at my writing plan and knew I hadn’t fulfilled it. However when I investigated further – it was not as bad as I thought.
Someone haunts the Opera House and while Madam Giry tries to keep her distance when the hauntings turn to murder, she knows she must act. Will she finally break her silence about what is going on or will she do what is necessary to protect those she loves?
For fans of Phantom of the Opera, this is a must-read. A.L. Butcher weaves a masterful story filled with emotion, angst, mystery, and murder. I do believe Gaston Leroux would consider this variation on his immortal tale a wonderful addition to his work, The Phantom of the Opera.
In the original story, Madam Giry is a mysterious character and the reader is left wondering whose side she’s on. Christine’s? Erik’s? In this tale, Butcher takes us inside the mind of Madam Giry and what she knows about the hauntings and the Phantom himself.
A brilliant short story that tore my heart out. Highly recommend!
Madame Giry finds herself embroiled in the tragedy unfolding at the Opera house; mystery and murder stalk the corridors and, it is said, a ghost haunts the place. Giry knows the truth, for she recalls the caged man she met so many years ago. This is her story, their story.
When murder and mystery begin at the Opera House one woman knows who is behind it, and what really lies beneath the mask. Secrets, lies and tragedy sing a powerful song in this ‘might have been’ tale.
Library of Erana 