Beachcombing at Pukehina Beach where I completed the first draft of my children’s fantasy novel, The Medallion of Auratus.
Details in nature are an inspiring study I think.
Can you see the ‘Charger’ riding in the waves? No? Don’t worry. It takes a little imagination but next time you’re near the coast when the waves are rolling in, take a closer look, you might just see one.
Surf horses like these, captured on my camera at Pukehina Beach, provided inspiration for some of the creatures in The Medallion of Auratus. The most magnificent ones I’ve seen riding the surf were at Cape Palliser in the Wairarapa and had rainbow manes. It was a spectacular and incredibly beautiful sight as they charged towards the shore. I sat watching them for an hour.
The Medallion of Auratus has a few dedications and one is to my Dad, photographer Brian Enting. Sadly we lost him in a car crash on September 26, 1995. He was on his way to photograph Mt Ruapehu erupting. He loved that mountain. We all did, and spent many happy holidays at Rangataua. It was there that I penned the first one and a half page story that was the beginning of The Medallion of Auratus, inspired by something Dad said to me earlier that day as we observed the sun’s path glittering across Lake Taupo. He said that as a child he always wondered what was at the end of the sun’s path. It sparked the fires of my imagination and inspired me to put pen to paper. My Dad still inspires me every day. I wish he could be here to read the book. I know he would have enjoyed it as well as being proud. He helped instil a love of reading and fantasy in me by reading my brother and I The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when we were children.
It’s been another great week for The Medallion of Auratus. It has made the top of Amazon’s mailer for children’s books again (third time in a row); it has been featured in the current (May/June 2014) issue of Idealog magazine; a major bookstore chain has made contact asking how they can stock it; AND a contact reported that she saw a person taking it out of the library in Te Atatu, Auckland. All things that make this first time author feel very chuffed.
Thought I’d share a picture of one of the reading corners in my childhood home in Blue Mountains Road where I grew up. My parents built this home and made sure there were lots of bookshelves. This photograph was taken just before the house was sold but most of my memories of it are without the table or rug being in this corner.
TOP OF THE LIST ON AMAZON
The Medallion of Auratus has made the top of the list of Amazon’s global mailer recommending books in its Children’s Department for the second time since the book’s release last month. Considering Amazon has only sent out two of these mailers we at Ocean Quest are very happy about that!
Received this picture today from a fan of The Medallion of Auratus. Great to see it on the bookshelf! To order your print copy or download as an e-book go to www.amazon.com
In print
The Medallion of Auratus launched as an e-book but now it’s available in print too!
It can be purchased from www.amazon.com
Search ‘The Medallion of Auratus Books’
