About Me
- Satima Flavell
- Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- I am based in Perth, Western Australia. You might enjoy my books - The Dagger of Dresnia, the first book of the Talismans Trilogy, is available at all good online book shops as is Book two, The Cloak of Challiver. Book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. I trained in piano and singing at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. I also trained in dance (Scully-Borovansky, WAAPA) and drama (NIDA). Since 1987 I have been writing reviews of performances in all genres for a variety of publications, including Music Maker, ArtsWest, Dance Australia, The Australian and others. Now semi-retired, I still write occasionally for the ArtsHub website.
My books
Buy The Talismans
The Dagger of Dresnia
The Cloak of Challiver, Book two of The Talismans
Available as an e-book on Amazon and other online booksellers.
Mythic Resonance
Mythic Resonance
Mythic Resonance is an excellent anthology that includes my short story 'La Belle Dame', together with great stories from Alan Baxter, Donna Maree Hanson, Sue Burstynski, Nike Sulway and nine more fantastic authors! Just $US3.99 from Amazon.
Got a Kindle? Check out Mythic Resonance. 
Follow me on Twitter
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For Readers, Writers & Editors
- A dilemma about characters
- Adelaide Writers Week, 2009
- Adjectives, commas and confusion
- An artist's conflict
- An editor's role
- Authorial voice, passive writing and the passive voice
- Common misuses: common expressions
- Common misuses: confusing words
- Common misuses: pronouns - subject and object
- Conversations with a character
- Critiquing Groups
- Does length matter?
- Dont sweat the small stuff: formatting
- Free help for writers
- How much magic is too much?
- Know your characters via astrology
- Like to be an editor?
- Modern Writing Techniques
- My best reads of 2007
- My best reads of 2008
- My favourite dead authors
- My favourite modern authors
- My influential authors
- Planning and Flimmering
- Planning vs Flimmering again
- Psychological Spec-Fic
- Readers' pet hates
- Reading, 2009
- Reality check: so you want to be a writer?
- Sensory detail is important!
- Speculative Fiction - what is it?
- Spelling reform?
- Substantive or linking verbs
- The creative cycle
- The promiscuous artist
- The revenge of omni rampant
- The value of "how-to" lists for writers
- Write a decent synopsis
- Write a review worth reading
- Writers block 1
- Writers block 2
- Writers block 3
- Writers need editors!
- Writers, Depression and Addiction
- Writing in dialect, accent or register
- Writing it Right: notes for apprentice authors
Interviews with authors
My Blog List
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Romance Kindle Daily Deals! - *The Hating Game* *RECOMMENDED: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is $1.99! This is part of 10 pages of Kindle Daily Deals, which include lots of romance a...1 hour ago
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Take 5 with Matthew Norman: All Together Now - We’re thrilled to bring you a Take Five interview with multi-published author and WU contributor Matthew Norman! Matthew has written four novels, including...6 hours ago
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The rise and fall of the European Super League: when the American challenge backfires - In the long history of America’s influence on the politics of innovation in Europe, the case of the planned football Super League stands out. This is not b...7 hours ago
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For Your Pleasure - a bearded iris in my garden. I found this beauty when I went outside to hang out some washing this morning - it's been raining or cloudy all week so sun...15 hours ago
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Book Review: NEAR THE BONE by Christina Henry - A young woman finds out the truth about her past and escapes a monster in Christina Henry’s newest novel, Near the Bone. Title: Near The BoneAuthor: Chri...19 hours ago
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WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Tension in a Mystery Opening - *Critique by Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy* WIP Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are...
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Content warnings are not censorship - What’s that? Another twitterstorm of outrage and controversy. Well, it is *checks watch* a day of the week, after all. In this case, there’s been another...1 day ago
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Flogometer 1147 for Sherri — would you turn this page? - Submissions sought. Get fresh eyes on your opening page. Submission directions below. The Flogometer challenge: can you craft a first page that compels me ...1 day ago
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“Getting Back To Normalcy” - Fucking Christ on a cheese stick, I am so tired of that phrase. If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard, “as the world opens back up”, “as we return to n...1 day ago
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When does Roman history end and Byzantine begin? with Marion Kruse - By what standards can anyone say that Roman history ends at some point and Byzantine history begins? Or is Byzantine history rather a phase of Roman history?2 days ago
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Not feeling well today — came in a bit short, but calling it a day. 896 words, 74,481 total. - And I’m pretty much going to leave the post at that. My objective total for the week was: 6250 words. My total word count for the week has been: 6,997 word...2 days ago
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Blog Updates - Unfortunately, I haven't been able to update the Edward II blog for a few weeks, because my mother was taken seriously ill and was hospitalised on 8 May,...2 days ago
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Journeying: Indian Indenture – working therapeutically to address archival silences - In October 1884, troops opened fire on a procession of Indians in Trinidad that led to the killing of 12 people and injury to 117. In our collection we h...2 days ago
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How to support independent bookshops – and authors - People often ask me where I prefer them to buy my books. Here’s my chance to explain but also to promote #ChooseIndieLinks, supporting Independent Booksh...2 days ago
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Pigeon Post by Judith Allnatt - Communication was no easy matter during World War One. There’s an old joke about a message that originated as ‘Send reinforcements; we’re going to advanc...
2 days ago -
3 Things You Can Do to Protect the Content on Your Blog - The post 3 Things You Can Do to Protect the Content on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger. This post is based on a guest post from Abhishek of Buddin...3 days ago
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Absolute Write is Back! - The forums are on! This is essentially a public beta test. There are some things to know first: * This is new software. The mods and I are learning it ri...3 days ago
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How to Gather Your Thoughts When You Have A Creative Crisis - Surviving A Creative Crisis A creative crisis hits everyone, no matter what they do. Similar issues arise in the creative fields as well as in everyday l...4 days ago
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Excellent Portents - I'm still in New Zealand, and life is weird but good. Amanda and I are raising our small boy, and I love being swept along in his enthusiasms. Zombies ...
4 days ago -
Debra Bokur - Debra Bokur is the author of The Fire Thief and The Bone Field (Dark Paradise Mysteries, Kensington). She’s traveled the world as a writer, journalist and ...4 days ago
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Back to books… - Returning to my book collection and this time I’m going to showcase an on-line friend Aleesha Darlison. I’ve been involved in a blog tour for her picture b...5 days ago
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Memories of Edith Hall Stone - This story was written by my mother, Judith Anson Robinson, as a tribute to her grandmother, Edith Hall Stone. Rather than retype it, I've taken photos ...6 days ago
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Memories of My Typewriter - Olivetti typewriter like mine. Fair use. On this morning’s Twitter, someone was wondering how “hellish” it must have been to have to use a typewriter. ...
6 days ago -
The Road Not Travelled - This book is now available in paperback format. It can also be had in Kindle format if you prefer. It is raising money for the Scoliosis Association UK ...1 week ago
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Core Bouldermania Finals - Some of the best viewing was the Tag Team final, in which teams of two climbers had to climb on different colours at the same time, and help each other, an...
1 week ago -
A Book Ian Likes: Espedair Street by Iain Banks - Daniel Weir was going to end it all. As the songwriter for one of the most successful bands in rock history, he feels that his recent life has been meaning...1 week ago
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#WEP 2021 Continues the Artistic Inspiration - GREAT WAVE! Sign up here on this post June 16th! - *The link above opens for submissions on June 16th!* Welcome to the third Challenge of 2021, GREAT WAVE! We hope you're enjoying the Year of Art ...
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Winners Drought Rescue - Winners Drought Rescue announced below! Song Bird Drought Rescue WON an Arts Queensland grant to research in Winton, Queensland. Book 5 in the Song Bird...2 weeks ago
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Sites of the Weimar Classicism – The Park at the Ilm - My hotel in Weimar was close to one of the entrances to the Park at the Ilm, so I decided for an afternoon walk upon my arrival. First, I went straight to ...
4 weeks ago -
Humble is the Way by David Jones - Humble is the Way by David Jones Publisher: McDougal & Associates Pub. Date: July 2007 ISBN-13: 9780977705368 208pp I usually just post the info ab...
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Random acts of writing … - I keep forgetting to write new stuff. But in fact – I’ve a ton of ‘old stuff’ that’ll be new to you. RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS – I’m guilty as charged. I Pai...4 weeks ago
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You Don't Get Deals Like That Anymore - May 7, 1942. Billboard Magazine (USA)Read this and weep. In 1942 you could buy 100 Golden Age comics for $1.95. If you wanted 1000 of them, you'd get chang...5 weeks ago
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I'M INSIDE A SHORT STORY!! - Ok everyone, you have to read this very short short story. Firstly because it is good, (check out the Bligh story within it too), but also because I'm ...1 month ago
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“The Family Business” is Ingram: the global infrastructure for the book industry - The global infrastructure for the book business that is not Amazon is owned and operated by the Ingram Content Group. In fact, a lot of the global infras...1 month ago
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WHITE SHADOWS - A Story Sanctuary for Healing the Legacy of White Violence Toward People of Color April 25, 1-3 $20 Racism and violence against people of color are a whit...
1 month ago -
New Publisher - https://ifwgaustralia.com/2021/04/13/new-acquisition-the-christmas-maze-by-danny-fahey/2 months ago
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Book review: Timefield, by Charlie Nash - The astute among you will have noticed it’s been yonks since I last posted anything. In the spirit of addressing this problem, here’s a book review. Charli...2 months ago
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Sometimes you think you are unproductive and you’re not - I keep thinking that I’ve been doing this PHD for years and I haven’t written anything creative in ages. That’s a big fat lie! In the early years of my PhD...2 months ago
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Sometimes you think you are unproductive and you’re not - I keep thinking that I’ve been doing this PHD for years and I haven’t written anything creative in ages. That’s a big fat lie! In the early years of my PhD...2 months ago
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Grandma's Chicken & Dumplings for Jo - Still haven't returned to blogging yet, but I did want to honor Jo. I had the pleasure of meeting her and her husband in North Carolina back in Sept 2013...
4 months ago -
Grandmother Dragon Forever - It feels like centuries since the last time I wrote something for the Dragon Cave. Only something of great importance would drag me out of my retirement...4 months ago
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Relics, Wrecks and Ruins - I’m delighted to be able to share with you the cover of Aiki Flinthart’s new anthology. Here are the details and the line up of writers. Relics, Wrecks...4 months ago
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‘Travel Derangements’ published in Van Diemen Decameron - I have a travel piece about Covid-19 and Tasmania, ‘Travel Derangements’, published online and free to read as part of the Van Diemen Decameron.4 months ago
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2020 Reading Review - *Books Read in 2020* *A Little Hatred *Joe Abercrombie *Atonement *Ian McEwan *Mythos *Stephen Fry (collection/mythology) *Matilda *Roald Dahl (chi...
5 months ago -
Greetings for the New Year - Dear Friends, The *Lion of Wisdom Meditation Center *wishes you all of the best in this New Year 2021 Here are links to two Dhamma talks I delivered o...5 months ago
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Happy Public Domain Day 2021, the end of copyright for 1925 works! - Today is Public Domain Day 2021, the end of copyright for works first published in the U.S. in 1925. Yes, this means that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great G...5 months ago
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Spooky Phishing Scam Targets Traditionally-Published Writers - *Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware®* The *New York Times* has published the story of a strange international phishing scam: unknown actors ta...5 months ago
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I Finally Read The Iliad - If The Iliad is any indication, the Trojan War was a complex and messy affair. Even on a fundamental level, it featured the lopping off of so many heads an...10 months ago
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A Prisoner Held in a Velvet Glove - Welcome to my latest song-video - A Prisoner Held in a Velvet Glove. Please click the Youtube link: https://youtu.be/AJLpof_soTcHope you enjoy.Tom Edwa...
11 months ago -
#335 - “That roof is the wrong shape to talk to God.” Chloe Reed hears this inside her head when she looks up in a coffeeshop, her house, her church, everywhere...11 months ago
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My Questions About Richard III. - 1. If Richard was planning to seize the throne all along why did he a) start by getting everyone in Yorkshire to swear allegiance to Edward V and ...1 year ago
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What communicates power? - Well, I have to say, I wasn't expecting to get this far behind on my reports on the show, but the launch month was very busy, and then the next month turne...
1 year ago -
The Legendary Game Pac-Man Has No Meaning. - [image: The Legendary Game Pac-Man Has No Meaning.] The Legendary Game Pac-Man Has No Meaning. Let's take a look at how this word came about. Actually, Pac-...
1 year ago -
Readers Notice and They Care - Readers care about story details and they care about characters. Both last night and this afternoon I had conversations with readers upset about the way au...1 year ago
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Review of Verdi's MacBeth (WA Opera) - *Our president, Frances Dharmalingham, has written a critique of a recent visit to the opera: Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’.* At Christmas 2018, my family’s gift to ...
1 year ago -
Breakout 3: tips for engaging your audience - Tips for engaging your audience: how to improve presentation, public speaking confidence and presence on stage, no matter how small the stage is. Present...1 year ago
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The Trains Don't Stop Here - It's been a long, long time since my last blog post. One of the main reasons for this – apart from life being way too busy in general – is that, in my dwin...
1 year ago -
Portrait of a first generation freed African American family - Sanford Huggins (c.1844–1889) and Mary Ellen Pryor (c.1851–1889), his wife, passed the early years of their lives in Woodford County, Kentucky, and later...1 year ago
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Revisiting the Comma Splice - One of the difficulties as an editor, particularly when working with fiction, is to know when to be a stickler for the rules. For some people this is not a...1 year ago
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New releases - SFFBookBonanza - StoryOrigin - SciFi and Fantasy Book Sale - New Releases – Jul 2019 The latest and greatest new releases in Science Fiction and Fantasy books! New releases July 2019 99 cent sale - July 22nd - 28th ...
1 year ago -
Six Things Writers Need To Stop Worrying About - Some things don't change. When I got my start in this biz, way back in 2002, writers had to get a lit agent to get a publisher, then they did what their pu...1 year ago
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Assassin’s Apprentice Read Along - This month, in preparation for the October release of the Illustrated 25th Anniversary edition of Assassin’s Apprentice, with interior art by Magali Villan...2 years ago
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STOLEN PICTURE OPTIONS TELEVISION RIGHTS TO BEN AARONOVITCH’S RIVERS OF LONDON - *STOLEN PICTURE OPTIONS TELEVISION RIGHTS TO BEN AARONOVITCH’S * *RIVERS OF LONDON* *London, UK: 29April 2019*: Nick Frost and Simon Pegg’s UK-based ...2 years ago
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So now it’s really really done - I announced back in September that Prince of Glass was done, and it was more or less. In that I had done most of the book then outlined the last section be...2 years ago
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It's the End of the (Fringe) World As We Know It... - I didn't get to the Fringe World Awards because I was volunteering at another venue at the time, which is also the reason I saw almost none of the shows th...2 years ago
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A Movie That No Writer Should See Alone - Really. REALLY. Trust me on this. particularly since this film, ‘Can you ever forgive me?’, is based on a ‘True story’ – and too many writers will see too...2 years ago
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Review: Trace: who killed Maria James? - [image: Trace: who killed Maria James?] Trace: who killed Maria James? by Rachael Brown My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely jaw-dropping, compelling readin...2 years ago
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Dance Photo Shoots - Photo Session Planning & Preparation Have you ever wanted to do a photo shoot for dance but have been a little unsure about how and what really happens? ...2 years ago
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On Indefinite Hiatus - (Which I pretty much have been from this site for a while already, but for real now.) You can find most archive content through the On Writing page, and li...3 years ago
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2017 Ditmar Winners Announced - Over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, spec fic fans gathered for Continuum 13: Triskaidekaphilia. Continuum is always a great convention, and this year it was...3 years ago
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Writing about the Crusades and talking about a "meddlesome priest" - The Middle Ages are in the news again, so here is a roundup of recent news articles. We start with three good reads from historians talking about the crusa...
4 years ago -
The One and the Many – every Sunday - My first serious girlfriend came from good Roman Catholic stock. Having tried (and failed) to be raised as a Christian child and finding nothing but lifele...4 years ago
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A Shameless Plug Ian Likes: Bibliorati.com - A little-known fact is that I once had a gig reviewing books for five years. It was for a now-defunct website known as The Specusphere. It was awesome fun:...4 years ago
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Book Review - Nobody by Threasa Meads - Available from BooktopiaThe subtitle for this work is *A Liminal Autobiography*. Liminal: 1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. 2...
4 years ago -
A whole 'nother year-and-a-bit - Well, we have let this blog slip, haven't we? I guess Facebook has taken over from blogs to a very large degree, but I think there is still a need for blo...
4 years ago -
2017 Potential Bee Calendar – & ladybirds and butterflies - Bees on flowers – all sorts of flowers (& bees) – and lady birds and butterflies. There were hundreds (literally) of photos to choose from. This is a small...4 years ago
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What is dyslexia? - *" **The bottob line it thit it doet exitt, no bitter whit nibe teottle give it(i.e ttecific lierning ditibility, etc) iccording to Thilly Thiywitz ( 2003)...
5 years ago -
Rai stones - *(Paraphrased from Wikipedia)*: Rai stones were, and in some cases are still, the currency of the island once called Yap. *They are stone coins which at th...7 years ago
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Cherries In The Snow - This recipe is delicious and can also be made as a diet dessert by using fat and/or sugar free ingredients. It’s delicious and guests will think it took ...8 years ago
Favourite Sites
- Alan Baxter
- Andrew McKiernan
- Bren McDibble
- Celestine Lyons
- Guy Gavriel Kay
- Hal Spacejock (Simon Haynes)
- Inventing Reality
- Jacqueline Carey
- Jennifer Fallon
- Jessica Rydill
- Jessica Vivien
- Joel Fagin
- Juliet Marillier
- KA Bedford
- Karen Miller
- KSP Writers Centre
- Lynn Flewelling
- Marianne de Pierres
- Phill Berrie
- Ryan Flavell
- Satima's Professional Editing Services
- SF Novelists' Blog
- SF Signal
- Shane Jiraiya Cummings
- Society of Editors, WA
- Stephen Thompson
- Yellow wallpaper
Blog Archive
Places I've lived: Manchester, UK
Places I've lived: Gippsland, Australia
Places I've lived: Geelong, Australia
Places I've lived: Tamworth, NSW
Places I've Lived - Sydney
Sydney Conservatorium - my old school
Places I've lived: Auckland, NZ
Places I've Lived: Mount Gambier
Blue Lake
Places I've lived: Adelaide, SA
Places I've Lived: Perth by Day
From Kings Park
Places I've lived: High View, WV
Places I've lived: Lynton, Devon, UK
Places I've lived: Braemar, Scotland
Places I've lived: Barre, MA, USA
Places I've Lived: Perth by Night
From Kings Park
Inner Peace Blog
Awarded by Joanna Fay. Click on the image to visit her lovely website!
Versatile Blogger Award
Awarded by Kim Falconer. Click on the pic to check out her Quantum Astrology blog!
Fabulous Blog Award
Awarded by Kathryn Warner. Click on the pic to check out her Edward II blog!
Search This Blog
The Dagger of Dresnia
Saturday, June 02, 2018 | 
Posted by
Satima Flavell
The newly
widowed Queen Ellyria just wants her sick triplet sons to live, each ruling
over a third of the kingdom as their dying father decreed. When she finds
herself trapped in a deadly bargain with a dark spirit, she recruits a band of
young mages to help – but a terrible curse takes over.
The Dark
Spirit befriends her enemies and seduces her friends, and Ellyria soon finds
that, famine, betrayal, pestilence and bereavement are all in its arsenal. Can
Ellyria unite the elvish and mortal sides of her family, and in so doing, save
the kingdom?
What is
Ellyria to do, with all hell breaking loose? To find out, I followed themes including
the many forms of love; the growth of intimacy; the singularising nature of an
unusual talent; dealing with consequences; internal conflict; family
conflict; problem teenagers and racial conflict. On further reflection, I could
add another - the potentially healing power of family ties.
The Dagger of Dresnia is available from Satalyte Publishing, Amazon.com and other online booksellers, and selected book shops in Australia. Click here to read a sample scene.
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