Ocean Quest: The Medallion of Auratus

Sea cave at low tide at Bethells Beach, West Auckland, New...

Tue, 24 May 2016 05:31:45 -0400

Sea cave at low tide at Bethells Beach, West Auckland, New Zealand. The floor of the cave is covered in white sand just like Sam’s cave in The Medallion of Auratus.

Wanted to share this photograph I took on May 16 at Bethalls...

Tue, 24 May 2016 05:24:42 -0400

Wanted to share this photograph I took on May 16 at Bethalls Beach on the West Coast of New Zealand. The perspective is from inside a sea cave with a sand floor that has been carved out by the waves. I couldn’t believe it when two boys who looked like Sam and Jackson in The Medallion Auratus came in to explore the cave when I was there. Here’s photo of them exiting the cave.

Visited the Aotearoa Fantastical Art Exhibition brought to the...

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 06:29:40 -0400

Visited the Aotearoa Fantastical Art Exhibition brought to the NZ Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington by Paul Tobin of White Cloud Worlds. This is one of Paul’s incredible artworks which I think is an amazing likeness of his beautiful wife Claire. Paul also illustrated the cover of The Medallion of Auratus!

http://www.whitecloudworlds.com

I thought I’d share another real time snap of the world of...

Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:47:40 -0400

I thought I’d share another real time snap of the world of Sam and Jackson in The Medallion of Auratus. I took this photograph on the walk to Tutukaka Lighthouse over Easter weekend. The cliff, rock pools and coastline riddled with caves made me feel like I was stepping into my own book. Of course it was the magical coastal areas of New Zealand like this one, that I grew up with and spent many happy holidays, that ignited the fires of my imagination.

Mermaid Pools – Take a peek into part of Sam’s world in...

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 17:23:20 -0400

Mermaid Pools – Take a peek into part of Sam’s world in The Medallion Auratus. I took these magical images this weekend in a beautiful part of New Zealand that I had never visited before, yet are typical of the rocky beach landscape that inspired me when writing this book. The large Mermaid Pools at Matapouri simply take your breath away when you first see them and are magical to swim in. I must admit they are the largest rock pools I’ve ever seen!

Masterton Paper Plus is the first bookstore in New Zealand to...

Sat, 08 Nov 2014 00:46:43 -0500

Masterton Paper Plus is the first bookstore in New Zealand to carry The Medallion of Auratus. It’s on the shelves now people and seeing it up there is very exciting!

Spent a day in Raglan recently, stood on this mosaic star and...

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 06:01:49 -0400

Spent a day in Raglan recently, stood on this mosaic star and took a picture of this view. New Zealand is a wonderful country to feel inspired in. This sun dial also reminded me of the Sun Medallion and the solarium. Don’t know what I’m talking about and keen to escape into a fantasy adventure for a while? Go to www.amazon.com and download a copy of The Medallion of Auratus or buy a hard copy of the book. I’d love to hear your review.

Massive congratulations to Paul Tobin (the talented illustrator...

Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:19:54 -0400

Massive congratulations to Paul Tobin (the talented illustrator of The Medallion of Auratus book cover) and his new wife Claire Hackett! The couple were married at the Wellesley Boutique Hotel in Wellington on Saturday. Here they’re cutting the cake with sword, Orcrist, which Paul designed for The Hobbit which was just brilliant. There was a strong Weta Workshop contingent at the wedding including Weta founders Sir Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger.

Jumping for Joy It wasn’t until I completed the second...

Sat, 16 Aug 2014 19:45:15 -0400

Jumping for Joy

It wasn’t until I completed the second re-write of my children’s novel The Medallion of Auratus that I truly understood the term ‘jumping for joy’. I was on my own at the seaside bach (cottage) that I’d rented at Paekakariki where I’d spent the past three weeks writing full time. As I wrote the last line a wave of joy sweep through me and I was filled with immense satisfaction that filled every part of my being from my fingers to my toes. Before I knew it I was spontaneously jumping and dancing around the cottage. I let out a few 'whoops’ of excitement too. I was so happy with the rewrite, and that I’d done it! It was such an amazing moment that I truly hope everyone can experience this kind of joy by following their own bliss, whatever that may be.

This photo was taken on the beach in front of the cottage. That’s Kapiti Island behind me. Many thanks to Helen Ward for taking the photograph.

Every good book has gone through a few re-writes, The Medallion...

Sat, 09 Aug 2014 04:26:57 -0400

Every good book has gone through a few re-writes, The Medallion of Auratus included. This is me hard at work in 2009 in the midst of one of these. I took three weeks annual leave and shut myself away in a bach that I hired in Paekakariki by the ocean. I spent the first two days in total angst because I didn’t know where to start. After two very ‘straight up’ conversations with my brother Blake and artist Paul Tobin I slashed 30,000 words, killed several characters and created new ones. It was an intense few weeks as I had imposed a three-week deadline on myself. I also shut out most of the world as I needed to be immersed in Sam’s world. I did not have internet access and told people I was not contactable by phone. I had three visitors drop in over that time. My dear friend Helen Ward was one of them and took this photo of me.

Beachcombing at Pukehina Beach where I completed the first draft...

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 23:56:30 -0400

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?...

Sun, 20 Jul 2014 00:58:28 -0400

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.

Did you know that the original working title for The Medallion...

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 17:54:00 -0400

Did you know that the original working title for The Medallion of Auratus was Sam and the Sun Medallion? Here’s me proudly holding the first finished draft of the book in 2006 at Pukehina Beach, New Zealand. Also proud to make the top of Amazon’s latest mailer again!

The Medallion of Auratus has a few dedications and one is to my...

Sat, 14 Jun 2014 00:38:26 -0400

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.

The Medallion of Auratus featured in this month’s issue...

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 05:56:18 -0400

The Medallion of Auratus featured in this month’s issue (June 2014) of the Ponsonby News.

It’s been another great week for The Medallion of Auratus....

Fri, 09 May 2014 02:00:07 -0400

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...

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 21:21:34 -0400

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...

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:34:29 -0400

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...

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:30:05 -0400

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...

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 03:02:30 -0400

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’