A Small Christmas Gift

By Allan | Friday, 21 December 2012 at 10:15
Category: Writing | Tags:

Remember that I promised I would post some ‘lost’ scenes from the Faerie Path books? Well, the first one is now there, just in time for Christmas.
It is the whole of Chapter Seven (VII) from the original, unedited version of The immortal Realm.

Let me explain. When I submit a manuscript to a publisher, they set about editing it - suggesting changes that they believe will improve the book. Sometimes I disagree with their choices and say so - but more often, I go along with what they want.

If you know the published book well, then you will probably notice small differences throughout this original text.

But something else happened with this chapter - and it was caused by the fact that I had written beyond the agreed word-count. This meant that something had to be removed. The entire last scene of this chapter was taken out - not because it didn’t work - but because the book needed to be shorter.
Now, for the first time, you can read what I originally wrote.

To find the lost chapter, go to the BOOKS page, click on The Faerie Path, then click on The Immortal Realm. At the bottom of the page you will see some text: Click here to read the original, unedited version of The Immortal Realm Chapter VII.
Click on this and it will take you to the lost chapter.

The Charmed Return - The Original Ending

By Allan | Wednesday, 10 October 2012 at 07:37
Category: Writing | Tags: ,

I have now posted the final scene of the final chapter of The Charmed Return - with the extra page that shows how I originally intended to end the book. You’ll find it if you go the the BOOKS page, click on The Faerie Path, then click on The Charmed Return. A link at the bottom of that page will take you to the missing page.

At the time, I was hopeful that the publishers might ask for one more book where I could wrap up the story of Tania and her two families and bring the series to a satisfying conclusion. Alas, that didn’t happen - the books sold well, but not quite well enough to survive the economic troubles. Publishers all over were cutting back, abandoning books and holding off on publishing anything that wasn’t almost certain to make big money, and any hope of a 7th Faerie Path book cot caught up in the austerity. (Things were so bad, as you know, that the publishers never even released The Charmed Return in paperback form - I think we should all feel really lucky that all six books exist at all!)

Anyway, this small addition will answer one of the many questions that I have been asked by readers hungry for more. The publishers asked me to take the original ending out becasue they thought it made for a too ‘downbeat’ conclusion.

I suppose I could have added a kind of epilogue chapter showing Tania and Edric’s wedding - but then I’d have run into the problem of the book being too long, and the publishers would have wanted me to cut something in the book to bring the page-count down - and I really didn’t want to do that.

It’s a shame, because I did have a few thoughts about how a 7th book would go - and I’m still hopeful that I might get the time to write a short story that will answer all your outstanding questions - or at least, most of them. But you see, I need to keep working - I make my living from writing - so I’m in a Catch 22 situation in a way. I’m always looking for new work - and that fills up my time - but I’d like to write a short Faerie story - which I currently don’t have the time to do. Tricky, but I haven’t abandoned the idea altogether.

Anyway, as I think I mentioned before, when I submitted The Immortal Realm to the publishers, it was too long for them and they asked me to cut a couple of scenes. I did so, but I still have those scenes on file. Anyone interested?

Competition Closed - New Competition Soon.

By Allan | Tuesday, 20 September 2011 at 07:42
Category: Writing | Tags: , ,

I was really amazed at how quickly the replies came in for my competition. All the books have now been won, so I’m afraid the competition is now closed.

However - I will hold another similar competition at the end of September, so keep your eyes open for news about that.

…and thank you to everyone who wrote in.

The No-Summer in London Update + Competitions!

By Allan | Friday, 16 September 2011 at 09:32
Category: Writing | Tags: ,

sorry for not posting anything recently - but I’ve been busy on various projects and time flew away with me.

One of my projects - nothing to do with my writing - is I’m currently listening to audio versions of all 7 Harry Potter books. I know I’ve arrived rather late to the party with this, but I thought I’d wait till the hullabaloo died down. What I really like about the books so far is that they ignore all the editorial rules I have been told about over the past 20 years. Rowling just did what she wanted to do, and everyone loved it.

Anyway, we’re fresh back from a glorious holiday in Greece - I just have to set a book on a Greek Island. For any of you people with Facebook access, I’ve posted a few pictures up - under the name Allan Frewin. If people are interested, let me know, and I’ll post some on this site, too. The weather was fabulous in Greece so at least Claudia and I got two wonderful weeks of Summer this year, which is more than everyone who stayed in London, England did! Rain, rain rain. Grey, grey, grey. Yuck!

A while ago I promised some giveaways in competitions. Here they are at last. First come, first served, no reply by date - but in both cases, I have 5 signed copies of books to give away, and they will be sent out in the order in which I get correct responses.

THE FAERIE PATH COMPETITION

5 signed Hardback Copies of THE CHARMED RETURN as prizes.

All you need to do to win is to tell me the last 6 words spoken by Tania/Anita at the very end of The Enchanted Quest.

Please do not give your answer as a comment on this blog - I’ll ignore it. You should go to the Contact page and write me from there.

THE DESTINY’S PATH (Warrior Princess) COMPETITION

5 signed paperback copies of the UK edition of Destiny’s Path: Govannon of the Spring (Published previously in America as Warrior Princess: Destiny’s Path).

Please remember that this is the British edition of the 2nd Warrior Princess book - with a different title and a slightly different cover and a few small editorial corrections.

All you need to do to win is to tell me the name of the Owl Girl who becomes Branwen’s companion in this book.

As with the other competition, please don’t respond as a comment on this blog - go to the Contact page and write me from there with your answer. First come first served!

I hope you all had a good summer - and don’t forget, for Warrior Princess readers, the 4th Warrior Princess book that was not published in America will be released in the UK and Canada in April 2012 - I’ll be giving some away as prizes next spring, so if you want to know how Branwen’s adventures continue - watch this space.

Faerie Path - The Latest

By Allan | Monday, 25 July 2011 at 09:00
Category: Writing | Tags: ,

For several months now I have been getting mail from readers of the Faerie Path series, asking me whether there will be a 7th book. I now have the final answer. I’m afraid there is no chance of another full Faerie Path book.

I don’t want you to think the publishers are at fault here - the people at Harper Collins have been really great! Let me walk you through this. When the idea of The Faerie Path first came, I thought it would only be one book - a single story that ended with the downfall of Gabriel Drake and the reconciliation of Tania and Edric. When the people at Harper Collins came on board, they asked if this could be stretched to a trilogy of books. A Fantasy Trilogy! My ambition for years and years - ever since I started writing - was to publish a fantasy trilogy - and now they were giving me the chance! I said yes! Of course I did.

At that time, I had no idea of what would happen in books 2 and 3. Actually, book 2 wasn’t such a problem - the Queen of Faerie was missing - book 2 could tell the story of Tania and Edric finding her and bringing her back. (I’m hoping everyone reading this will have read the first books, so no spoilers! If you haven’t read them, stop now, or plots are going to be given away!)  The plot of book 3 came about quite by accident. I wanted a scene where Tania would meet Princess Sancha in her library, reading a book. When I started writing the scene, I had no idea what Sancha would be reading - and I just wrote the first thing that popped into my head - a tale of an ancient war with the Sorcerer King of Lyonesse. I had no idea then who the Sorcerer King was, nor what had happened to him. It was just something for Sancha to be reading.

But as most of you will know, that little incident gave me the basis for the whole of the 3rd book. So, there I was, with a Fantasy Trilogy!

I thought that would be the end of the adventures of Princess Tania in Faerie, and Harper Collins asked what Frewin Jones could do next - which is how the Warrior Princess series got started. I was actually in a meeting with some editors, discussing the plot of Warrior Princess book 2, when the Office Manager strolled in. “Did you enjoy writing the Faerie Path books?” he asked. I told him I had enjoyed it very much. “Good, then,” he said. “How would you like to write three more?”

I jumped at the chance - and rushed off to come up with some thoughts for three more books. Again, the plot for this 2nd trilogy came from something that I had written near the end of book three, never thinking it would lead anywhere. It was the scene where Tania asks Titania about Faerie wings, and Titania mentions the lands of Alba and Erin and speaks of the Divine Harper. At the time, I had no idea what any of that meant! But now I had three more books, I decided it would be fun to find out, and I’m eternally grateful to the good people at Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to do so. But things are very tough in the publishing world now - and getting tougher! A seventh Faerie Path book is not an option right now, and - as someone who makes their living from writing - I have moved on to other projects.

However, some of you have told me that the 2nd trilogy feels “unfinished” - as if there is more to tell. In a way, I can see why you would think so, although I am not going to talk about this in detail here, because there will be a lot of people reading this who have not necessarily read the Charmed Return, and I don’t want to spoil the end for them.

Here’s the thing. Although there will definitely not be a 7th book, I am considering writing an extended short story - or novella - which I would make available free online from this website to anyone who would like to read it. If it gets written, this short story would - hopefully - wrap up all the loose ends and answer most of the questions that readers have been asking me. Again, I’m not going to go into details - I don’t want potential readers to be put off by telling then what happens in The Charmed Return before they have had the chance to read it.

I am very busy now with other writing, so if I do write the ‘tying-up-loose-ends” story, it won’t be until next year now - although, of course, as it will be directly from me to you readers, as soon as it is written, I will make it available on this website.

so - there you have it, not the news many of your were hoping for, but maybe not entirely without hope! Let me know what you think - if I wrote the short story, would you want to read it?

If you want to write to me with ideas or specific thoughts about what you’d want to see in the potential short story, please do it via the Contact page and not as a comment here. Remember there are plenty of people out there who have not yet read The Charmed Return, and I won’t be posting any comments that give the story away!

Faerie Path 7 - The “no news” News

By Allan | Monday, 4 July 2011 at 08:27
Category: Writing | Tags:

I am still getting regular mail from readers of The Faerie Path series asking for more books after The Charmed Return.

I’d be happy to write more books, but the cold truth at the moment is that the Publishers do not want any more books in this series. There are only two ways that I can think of to get them to change their minds.

The first and best would be for the sales of the existing books to go through the roof! I do what I can to publicise these books, but word of mouth by existing readers is a far more effective way of alerting people to the existence of the books - and of getting them to buy them! If you would like to see more Faerie Path books, and you have a Facebook account, or Twitter, or any other Social Network access, then spread the word. If you know people who run book-review websites, or even if you know of such websites from your browsing online, make contact and tell them about the series. If you have a local library, speak to the librarian and ask if they will buy the books for their shelves. If you have a school library, find out if they would be able to buy copies. If you have friends or family who you think might enjoy the books, tell them about them - maybe even buy a book as a gift?

The other potential way of getting the Publishers Harper Collins to change their mind is to make direct contact with them - they have a Facebook page HarperTeen where you can post comments - perhaps if you write a polite message to them telling them how much you are enjoying the Faerie Path series and would like to see more, that might make a difference - if enough of you do it. If you do decide you’d like to contact the publishers directly, please remember always to be polite to them and to keep your mails short and to the point.

If you have an online account with Amazon or a similar book-selling store, perhaps you could consider writing a review of the books for other people to read?

If you have any other ideas for publicising the series and spreading the word, please post a comment here.

Meanwhile, don’t forget you can chat with other readers of the series on the Fan Forum and in the Fan Club - links on the right hand side of my website Home page. Arya, who runs these sites, has also set up a big Summer Giveaway of books signed by me - so please do check this out if you have the time.

Of course, if I do hear anything from the Publishers - I’ll post it here immediately.

Meanwhile…the ball is in your court!

Massive Summer Giveaway!

By Allan | Wednesday, 22 June 2011 at 19:25
Category: Writing | Tags: , ,

My good friend Arya has set up a Massive Summer Giveaway on the Fan Forum site at faerieroom.proboards.com.

You can link directly to this site by clicking on the panel on the right hand side of the Home or Blog Page on my Website.

Arya says: Prizes are…

An autographed paperback copy of The Immortal Realm

An autographed hardcover copy of The Enchanted Quest

6 copies of autographed Destiny’s Path: Rhiannon of the Spring (formerly Warrior Princess)

You may enter the draw by leaving a message on the Fan Forum site.

Please don’t leave messages on My Site here hoping to be added to the draw - you have to get in direct contact with Arya on the Fan Forum site.

Destiny’s Path: Rhiannon of the Spring

By Allan | Friday, 17 June 2011 at 12:06
Category: Writing | Tags: , , ,

The first book in the re-published series formerly known as Warrior Princess and now called Destiny’s Path hit the stores on the 6th June. Most of you will know the story behind this, but for any of you who missed the explanation, here’s the thing: Harper Collins New York originally commissioned me to write 4 books in the Warrior Princess series. Because of cut-backs due to the economic climate, they decided not to publish book four - despite it being written and handed over to them in plenty of time, and despite the fact that the editors really loved it. This decision was not based on quality, but was the product of number-crunching by accountants and the need to save money. Shame, but what can you do about it?

Well, it turns out that there is something that can be done. People wanting to follow Branwen’s adventures with the Shining Ones to their end, can buy the fourth book in the stores if they live in the UK or Canada or Australia or New Zealand - and can buy it on import or as an e-book if they live in America. The British publisher Hodder Hachette have bought the series and are re-packaging and re-publishing the first three books and are also committed to releasing the missing fourth book.

The only slight complication is that they didn’t much like the series title “Warrior Princess” and decided to change it to “Destiny’s Path” - which is fine, except that the 2nd book of Warrior Princess is also called Destiny’s Path - so that could be confusing. Also, some of the people at Hodder Hachette didn’t like the American covers - so there was a lot of debate about that by their various departments before it was finally decided to go with covers that are only slightly different from the originals - which is good, because I liked them.

The publication schedule for the 4 books goes like this:

Book 1: Destiny’s Path: Rhiannon of the Spring - June 2011.

Book 2: Destiny’s Path: Govannon of the Wood - September 2011.

Book 3: Destiny’s Path: Merion of the Stones - January 2012.

Book 4: Destiny’s Path: Caradoc of the North Wind - April 2012.

The thing to remember is that books one to three of Destiny’s Path are virtually the same as books one to three of Warrior Princess - the only differences are tiny editorial corrections that I made. So, if you have already bought the first three Warrior Princess books (Warrior Princess, Destiny’s Path & The Emerald Flame) - the only one you need is Caradoc of the North Wind. I’m explaining this upfront so no one feels cheated because of having bought the same book twice with different titles!

On the Faerie Path front, I’m planning on having a final meeting with a UK representative of the publishers in July - I’ll report back, but I don’t want anyone to get their hopes up about a 7th book - things are not looking good.

Meanwhile, the first book of The Six Crowns series is doing so well that it has already gone into reprint in hardback, which is great news.

Finally. I’m working on a new series aimed at boys - a kind of boy-spy thing that a UK publisher has commissioned. I’ll let you know more about it when the paperwork is done and the contracts have been signed. I know this isn’t something that the majority of you people are longing for - but rest assured I’m not going to abandon Tania and Co. Promise.

The Charmed Return Competition

By Allan | Thursday, 28 April 2011 at 09:21
Category: Writing | Tags:

Well, my box of copies of The Charmed Return has finally arrived! I think it must have come all the way from New York by foot! But the good news is that it looks like I have a few spare copies - so I thought it might be good to set up a competition so people can win signed copies.

I know most of you people have probably already got yourselves a copy of the book - but you might still like to have one that I’ve signed - and you can always pass the other one on to a friend or family member. Remember - spread the word if you want a 7th book!

So - the competition. I don’t want to make it too easy, and it would be nice for the most avid readers to get signed copies.

Here goes - the way to enter the competition is NOT to post a comment here - but to write to me via the CONTACT page.

Just answer the following questions, please:

From the Faerie Path: What play are Tania and Edric rehearsing for school?

From The Lost Queen: What name does Titania use in London?

From The Sorcerer King/The Seventh Daughter: What is the name of The Sorcerer Kings’s wife?

From The immortal Realm: What is the name of the coastal town that Tania and Co come to at the end of the book?

From The Enchanted Quest: What is the name of the woman who ferries them into Erin?

Ok - I have six copies of The Charmed Return for signing and sending off. When you write, tell me what dedication you would like in the book - the first 6 to reply win! Easy as that.

Other news. I know a lot of you are really hoping for a 7th book about Tania and Co. I have met with a colleague who is involved with the UK end of the publishing. I have to be honest with you, he was impressed by the amount of fan mail I get about The Faerie Path series, and he took away 80 print-outs from people asking for a 7th book - but he couldn’t guarantee that the series would carry on with Harper Collins in the USA. But don’t despair - I’m thinking about possible ways ahead.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but the best way by far to ensure the existence of a 7th Faerie Path book is for a huge number of the first six books to be sold. So, if you have access to Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter or any other forum either online or in your school or neighbourhood - tell people about the series and urge them to buy the books. Make sure the books are available in your local library. Spread the word and a 7th book may still be possible! I’m doing my best, but there’s one thing for sure - I can’t do it without you people!

Gallery Additions

By Allan | Friday, 14 January 2011 at 11:26
Category: Writing | Tags:

I have finally had the time to go through the 9 pages of instructions given to me by my very good friend Jules about how to download pictures onto my Website. Thanks Jules

If you click on GALLERY at the top of the home page, you will be taken to a page from which you can view these pictures. I hope you like them.

Meanwhile, in this morning’s mail I received a parcel containing one copy each of the hardback of The Charmed Return and a paperback of The Enchanted Quest. At last! As you probably know, I finished writing The Charmed Return almost a year ago, and it’s seemed sometimes like the book would never actually appear. Well, it has! I hope those of you who have been waiting as eagerly as I have will enjoy it. Please remember if you get in touch, not to include any plot spoilers in your mails to me - not if you want your comments to be posted online here. If you want to discuss specific things in the book, write to me privately from the Contact page, I will always respond.