When I first started reading this, I felt that had the growth on the dog’s head not been called an octopus, the book wouldn’t have been at all interesting. It was just a story about a man who discovers that his beloved pet has a growth, presumably a tumour. Calling it an octopus gave a quirky magical realism feel to the story, but it wasn’t enough to keep me reading, so I put the book down and read something else for a while. I thought I wouldn’t return to this story, but it occurred to me that since Simon and Schuster had published it, it must have something more in store. Had it been self-published and not from an author I knew, I would have stopped reading because I would have had no guarantee that it was worth continuing with. So, trusting in the evaluation of the editorial team at Simon and Schuster, I picked it up again, and I was glad I did. The story remained a simple one of a man coming to terms with the inevitable death of his aging pet. The fact that he called the … [Read more...]
Yay! Whoopee! The Locksmith’s Secret is OUT NOW & with a great review already.
My 9th book has just been published and it feels great. I can't believe I've actually written and had published so many books. Not only that but The Locksmith's Secret already has one review and its AWESOME. It's written by Amazon Vine reviewer, Dreambeast. It starts with: "In The Locksmith's Secret, Tahlia Newland has woven several narratives into a complex story about the joys and pitfalls of love and the enduring power of the imagination. ..." Then she goes onto talk about the story and she gives a really good summary of it. She ends with: "Newland interweaves all of these threads with consummate skill. Not once do they get tangled. Not once does the suspense flag, which is especially impressive in a contemplative novel like The Locksmith's Secret. The credit goes to Newland's mastery of narrative structure, to her concise and transparent prose that is eloquent without ever drawing attention to itself, and to her wonderfully varied and complex characters. The worlds … [Read more...]
Free Ebooks: Teen Fiction and Magical Realism
I have a couple of free ebooks available, Ariel's Dream and A Hole in the Pavement. Both are short stories ... Ariel’s Dream is a free urban fantasy introduction to my young adult series about Ariel's adventures in the hidden realm of Diamond Peak. I'm pretty sure that anyone who likes this story, which happens 3 years before the events portrayed in book one, Lethal Inheritance, will like the series, and you don't have to be a teen to enjoy it, because it has many levels. Anyone who likes different books will like this because of its magical realism elements, meaning that the outer and the inner world of a character merge to create an apparently external world that is a metaphor for the internal one. How can you get this one of my free ebooks? Download it from Amazon by clicking this link <http://geni.us/bF0> which will take you to your local Kindle store. If the book doesn’t show up as free for you, (and it doesn't in some countries) then please help to make the book … [Read more...]
Symbolism in literature: The Symbolism of the Diamond Peak Series
A mountain peak is something that climbers strive to attain, and when they make it to the top, the view is breathtaking. They climb in order to see the view, and on the way, they pit themselves against the elements and face physical and mental hardships, so when they achieve their goal, their sense of satisfaction and relief is huge. Sogyal Rinpoche in his book, ‘The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying,’ (p55) tells the story of the thick headed disciple who, even after many teachings on meditation, did not experience the true nature of his mind—the purpose of meditation. His teacher told him to take a bag of barley and, without stopping, climb to the top of a mountain. The disciple trusted his teacher, so he took the heavy bag and climbed. As he walked, the bag seemed to get heavier but, following his teacher’s instructions, he didn’t stop. He kept going, and finally, after a long time, he reached the top and dropped the bag. As Sogyal Rinpoche tells it: “He slumped to the ground, … [Read more...]
A real darling: free ebook for 5 days only.
There's a lot of free ebooks around , but if you haven't read this little charmer already, you really should. I defy anyone to not enjoy it. It's free on Kindle until the 24th of June, and I'll give you your money back if you don't enjoy it. Every morning, Norris watches his goddess walk to the bus stop in front of him, the gap between them far wider than the physical distance. This morning, she stumbles. He wants to run and help her, but finds himself stuck in a hole that appeared along with his self-doubt. By the time he gets out, she’s long gone. He vows that if it happens again, he won’t hesitate, but when she falls the next day, he has more than just his own hole to deal with. Can he find his heroic self before she walks away? What readers are saying. "This was one of the sweetest most encouraging stories I have read in a while. Change your way of thinking, change your life. Awesome!" D.M.Evans "The name 'Norris' tells you everything you need to know about this short story. … [Read more...]
Eternal Destiny is out! Are you ready for the mind-blowing finale to the series?
Intrepid traveler Ariel Malony and demon slayer Nick Walker face their deepest fears and their greatest challenge as they search for the Master Demon who holds the key to the future of mankind. Slay him and the world goes free; fail, and it falls irrevocably into violence and chaos. Guided by a wisdom master of a mystical tradition that uses mind power as the basis of powerful magic, the assault party, including Kestril, the Magan Chiefs' son, Layla, the flying Noble One, and Twitchet, the talking cat, must travel from the ancient granite walls of the Hermitage, up the kilometer high Steps of Death, and through a labyrinth of shifting gorges to the Palace of Skulls where flesh-eating demons demand to be fed. Even if Nick wins his struggle with the scars of his past and defeats the green-eyed head of the Cogin clan, they still must cross the scree slope, where the bones of Ariel's father lie, and pass through the territory of vicious elementals to get to the ice caves beneath the … [Read more...]
Mist by Susan Krinard: Norse gods in San Fransisco; awesome urban metaphysical fantasy.
Title: Mist Author: Susan Krinard Publisher: Macmillan-Tor/Forge Genre: Urban/metaphysical/magical realism fantasy Pub Date Jul 16 2013 Mist grabbed me and pulled me right into the story from the beginning. It was as if I was there in San Francisco with Mist, a Vaylkerie and daughter of Freyer a powerful Norse god. Mist has been in Midgard - earth -for thousands of years, left here when the gods disappeared. She thought they'd gone forever but learns from an elf - she thought there were none of them left in Midgard either until he turned up - that they had been banished to a formless world, and now bridges were appearing between the worlds and the frost giants had begun crossing over. The action begins early. We just have enough time to get to know Mist before her world changes and she's battling for her life. She discovers that her lover of 6 months is in fact the trickster god Loki, master of the giants. He steals the staff entrusted into her care by Odin - head god - and … [Read more...]
Another book flies into cyberspace; guest post for Pavarti Tyler
Pavarti Tyler is another AIA (Awesome Indies Approved) author who writes magical realism and she has very kindly invited me to her blog to share my excitement at having a new book out. The post talks about the process of writing and how it feels to send a book out into the world. It also tells you a bit of the inside story on the series - like why you should read it. :) So share some love with Pavarti, pop over and have a read. http://www.pavartiktyler.com/guest-post-from-tahlia-newland-on-her-newest-book/ And don't forget that, in celebration of the new release, Lethal Inheritance, book one in the Diamond Peak Series is only 99c on Kobo and Kindle until the 5th of July. … [Read more...]
Look who’s on the Plum Tree, and who am I anyway?
Niamh Clune of Plum Tree Books invited me onto her blog to tell her readers a bit about me. Niamh wrote the beautiful Orange Petals in a Storm which I reviewed recently. This is the lovely introduction she wrote for me. "Today, I want to introduce you all to a very inspiring, dynamic and magnetic lady: Tahlia Newland. She is one of those people that hardly seems to sleep ~ always creating, always generating interest ~ someone with a vision, with passion and commitment. Tahlia writes books in the same genre as me ~ Magic Realism/ Metaphysical Literature." So, pop over to the Plum Tree to learn more about me & my rather unusual past, and to see her excellent and popular blog. http://wp.me/p1Tq2Q-FE … [Read more...]
Beautifully crafted metaphysical fiction: Orange Petals in a Storm by Dr Niamh Clune
Title: Orange Petals in a Storm Author: Dr Niamh Clune Genre: magical realism/metaphysical fiction I picked this book up when I was searching for a definition of metaphysical fiction, and found an article by the author. I was impressed with her writing so I bought the book, and I’m very glad that I did. Orange Petals in a Storm is the story of an eleven year old girl who has been mistreated by her stepfather since her mother’s death one year ago. On an external level, it’s a simple story about her life turning around, but it’s the inner world that gives this story its magic. To handle the abuse, the girl sits in an old chair—all that she has left of her mother—and withdraws into her mental ‘safe room’. There, she meets the human male version of the cat that saves her when she runs away and nearly freezes to death in a storm. With him—and sometimes an old woman—as her guide she travels the web of light that makes up the connections of the inner world. The confidence and wisdom … [Read more...]
