She was never meant to burn.

Petra is dead. Tilly is gone. And Juno has no one left to trust.

When the Lady takes control of her isolated school, everything Juno believed in begins to unravel. Her best friend falls under a dark spell. Her classmates whisper and obey. And deep inside Juno, something ancient stirs, a fire that has no right to exist in a world like this.

Alone except for Chax, her kitten, Juno flees to Fairacre, a cliffside town ruled by men, where women are property and silence is survival. But silence is the one thing Juno has never been good at.

Because the fire is growing. And the Lady is still watching.

Juno and the Lady is the first book in The Acre Series, a dark elemental fantasy of forbidden magic, dangerous rebellion, and a girl who refuses to be extinguished.

Perfect for fans of found family, fierce heroines, and worlds where the rules were made to be burned.

Amazon: Juno and the Lady

‘Valen and the Beasts’is a prequel to Juno and the Lady, the first book in the Acre Series.

Valen plucked the glass box off the shelf and gently placed it on his desk. Inside, a set of handcrafted metal circles linked to form the body of his new creation. He closed his eyes and willed his enormous hands to steady. The small beast stirred and slowly unwound its coiled body.

A commotion outside brings Valen back to the present. The Faireacre Captain has caught the leader of the sewer rats and is parading her in front of the town’s residents.

Her fate will be determined by the baying townsfolk’s demands for justice.

Valen stands tall and risks everything to defend the leader.

A story of discovery, hope and courage, Valen and the Beasts is a journey of an outsider risking everything to stand up for the people he loves.

Will Valen save the leader of the sewer rats? Will he show everyone his secret? Or will he buckle under the pressures of the old conventions?

Amazon: Valen and the Beasts

‘Petra and the Sewer Rats’ is the second prequel to Juno and the Lady, the first book in the Acre Series.

Children’s giggling touched Petra’s ears. She stopped walking through the picturesque garden and frowned at the shadows that danced in the murky alley. A friend’s jewel-encrusted hand grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the water fountain. Another giggle floated through the garden.

Throughout the afternoon, the rich residents of the northern district filled the air with the sound of booming laughter, which overshadowed the curious whispers of the children who made their homes in the alleyways.

Petra is a woman of privilege, accustomed to a life of comfort and ease. But fate had other plans for her, as she found herself plunged into the seedy underbelly of Fairacre. The realities of this world were harsh and unforgiving, filled with sadness beyond her wildest imagination.

A story of growth and resolve, Petra and the Sewer Rats is a tale of a young woman who dares to disobey the town’s rules to save its unwanted orphans.

Will Petra’s father, Ernest, still love her? Will her best friend, Nat, stay by her side? Or will they abandon her when she needs them most?

Amazon: Petra and the Sewer Rats

He was a warrior. Now he can’t feel his legs.

Miles knows what he lost. He felt it the moment that sword came down. The life he’d built, the fighter he was, the future he’d planned.

Now he lies in a borrowed room, willing his toes to move and refusing the draught that would numb the pain.

Because pain means something is still there. And where there is something, there is hope.

When feeling begins to return, Miles makes a decision. He leaves the safety of Dr Viktor’s house and travels east, alone, on foot, through the dead forest, toward Battleacre, the training grounds of the Queen’s Guard.

The dream he thought was finished.

But the road east has other plans. A chance encounter at a roadside inn pulls Miles into a world of shadows, fangs, and a mysterious figure known only as the Soldier. A man who fights like no one Miles has ever seen, and who seems to know exactly who Miles is.

What does the Soldier want with a disabled man on a desperate journey?

Miles and the Soldier is the second book in The Acre Series, a gritty dark fantasy about recovery, resilience, and what it truly means to become a warrior.

Perfect for fans of found family, unlikely mentors, and heroes who refuse to stay down.

Amazon: Miles and the Soldier

‘Almond and the Lanista’ is the first prequel to Miles and the Soldier, the second book in the Acre Series.

In the far south-eastern corner of the horse lands, a group of slave traders thrust a man and his dog into a world of enslavement.

The Lanista, a just man who has lost more than most, gets invited to take part in the games at the great warrior city of Battleacre. He prepares his warriors for battle. Win, and you gain your freedom. Loose and you lose your life.

The Ludus Capris heads north, entering the famed city prepared for combat. As the games begin, Almond and the gladiators discover they are compelled to battle not simply within the arena’s high walls, but also within the city walls themselves.

Which fight does Almond choose?

Almond needs to make an impossible decision. Fight for his freedom or break the one promise he made to his one true love.

Amazon: Almond and the Lanista

I knew he would come, but I didn’t.​
​I don’t think the bond is with me but rather the twins. I think they must have summoned my Valen. The gods be thanked.

I have never felt something so… powerful. And I… I am powerful.

Could this not have happened a century ago? When I was slightly less old. Shut it. You have experience, old man. Use it!

I never doubt myself. And I shan’t begin now.

I may have to show them what I can do. That would change…everything.

— Dr V

​

Quiet as a mouse.

The twins shouldn’t have to go through this. Why, after everything I went through, am I allowing the same thing to happen to these two?

Not now, Chloe

The spell is failing. Too many of them pound on it. Viktor’s face tells the story.
They are everywhere, and the stench is unbearable.

My heart swells at the enormous determination on Valen’s face. Yes… one day… we will have children.

I fear we have one choice.

We run!

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

I think I will write a book and use this island’s greenery as inspiration for a new world.

There is something really special about the Irish. You can go into a pub alone, and within 20 minutes, you will have 5 new friends. They are so lovely.

I cannot say the same for airports, though. The bane of my life.

Wishing you all well from the magical lands of Acre (and Ireland)

— G. J.

​

Warring factions!
But they search for the same thing.

I cannot bear to think what would happen if they found the gifted…at exactly the same time.
Let’s make sure that never happens, shall we?

The stench. It reminds me of death, but it’s not death. The unclean. Months of roaming, searching, hunting.

We made it.

Viktor is in good spirits…and the twins, well, I haven’t smiled like this in a long time.
Dark and Light

But what now? We are encircled by ‘clack clacks’ The unclean

Do we run? Or do we fight?

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

My spell is at its maximum, but they can still sense them. If the doors are compromised and they enter… Lazriel.

I don’t know if we can get away from these…things. I think I may have left it too late. Can I ask someone so young to perform such diabolical acts?
I may not have a choice.

My sons. I yearn for them. I know I did the right thing by them.
I will do the right thing by these two.

That I promise you.

— Dr V

​

‘Clack, clack.’

That sound. I cannot get it out of my head.
It reverberates through my muscles, my bones, all the way to my soul.

I have been through this forest before, and each time there is something with more teeth, more venom, more…attitude.
The others are wary and a bit skittish.

If Viktor has not upheld his end of the bargain, I am going to raze his mansion to the ground. I don’t care if Valen built it.

The twins.​
I know the world hinges on these two. I am certain of it.

May the Gods help anyone who gets in my way.

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

The leader of Fairacre can no longer hide behind councillors, policies and whataboutisms. She must now decide the fate of herself and her people.

She must act.

The bones I throw, the cards I draw, are all filled with a murky fog. I cannot see what comes, but I feel it’s chill.
My body aches.

The twins…filled with such light and dark. Their paths are forming, and I think they know it.

I must do what I must do.

— Dr V

​

So he did have a secret. I knew it, but… this? This?!
Is what he says a tactic, or is it true? I can see the fear in everyone’s eyes.

I cannot show my own fear.

Alexa, my sister, should take great care. Putting herself between us, with no concern for her own life, fills me with love and fear.
She does not realise how much she means to me.

I have been marked. Marked for protection by the most feared group known to the Lands of Acre.

I fear it will be a debt I will have to repay one day.

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

I have been watching a few TikToks of people visiting the UK and getting caught in the heatwave.
I think the general stance is…It hits different!

I hope you are all staying safe.

— G. J.

​

Slavers!
He is back!

I felt the icy cold stares from the council. Most of them know of this man, and most of them despise the very air he breathes.

What will they think of my plan? Do I even have a plan?
Of course I do, I am just afraid to execute against it.

My people…my people.

I must end this.
He has been free, while those who surround him are not. Mainly girls. Girls who work until discarded.

I will end this, but I cannot leave the town of Fairacre defenceless. Someone won’t be happy, but I must execute this with confidence, Chloe.

I must lead!

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

I thought about getting another keyboard this week, but then looked over at my ‘cabinet of keyboards’ and thought….nah.

It’s a curse, I tell you

Back to the writing!

— G. J.

​

Milo is adorable. The little disabled horse has so much fire in his belly. The stable boy called him every name under the sun, but I could see the twinkle in his eyes.
That crazy horse is loved.

My sisters are right. We deal with things one at a time, and we do it quickly. First the east, and then…the west.

My people.

I now need to decide who comes with me and who stays behind. Someone isn’t going to be happy.
Leadership is fun, they said.

Standing on the rooftops, I always scan Fairacre as if it will be my last. My beautiful town.

I must protect it.

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

Chloe’s book is starting to get some real traction. Fairacre is waking up.

I love it when the story just pours out.
The characters take on a life of their own, and I let them go. I’ve had to get comfortable with deleting a ton of words, as sometimes we end up down a rabbit hole.

Here’s to the delete key :)

Onwards!

— G. J.

​

He looked so lost.
So…sad.
I wanted to hold him, reach for him, but I know him too well.

He needs to process.

It doesn’t take him long. I can see it play out on his face, and it is hurting him.

My rock is in pain.
Patience, Chloe, patience.

This changes everything. I can feel the shift in the air. The ache in my bones.
Trouble.
We can no longer hide in the shadows. My people are tired, and I ask too much of them, but we have no choice.

Fairacre will sound the cry once again.

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

As I delve deeper into Chloe’s world and the world of Fairacre, my thoughts and dreams are becoming more vivid.
Sometimes I wonder if my created worlds are better than the world I live in.

Back to work. Stories need to be told.

— G. J.

​

On reflection, what I did was extremely silly.
I didn’t really think about it, I just did it.
But I now lead Fairacre, and there are expectations. Not expectations of tradition, but of leading by example.

I must be smarter.

But she stood there… bleeding… so much blood.
And she was one of me, one of my people. Surely the townsfolk would have done the same thing?
Or would they? I don’t know.

I stepped off the wall and into the darkness. I didn’t think about it, I just did it.
She stood there, holding something in her hand, a wild look in her eyes.

Yes, on reflection, what I did was extremely silly.

— C

If you haven’t yet met Dr Viktor, now is your chance. He’s been waiting. It’s free. (You’ll also join my reader list; unsubscribe any time.)

Chloe and the Slaver cover art

I love them, though.
Love? … I don’t know… The little one has a way about her… and him, well, just look at what he can do. So gifted.

The noises outside are getting more frequent. I know what they are, but I dare not tell them. We will need to make a run for it soon.

Maybe Chloe will visit. She is due.

— Dr V

​

I knew it! I knew something would happen.
I allowed it, and he got hurt.
Why don’t I trust myself? Naomi trusted me, but here I am, doubting myself. My blood feels like it’s boiling!

That machine, it seems, has eyes everywhere. I think we have figured it out. Valen is gifted, and it knows he is…but it does nothing. It just sits there. Why?

I cannot dwell on this. I must trust my gut more now than ever before.

Viktor. We need to get to Viktor, as I feel something is not right in the eastern forest.
Thomas has a plan. I don’t know his motive, but he is proving trustworthy.

I feel the next few days are critical. The little ones need help.
We will move in the morning.

— C

Billy? Ahh, Billy…well…he is missing. Gone. Where? Only I know ;)

Summertime is here, and I can feel the happiness growing in my blood. Let there be sun!

— G.J.

​

Fairacre.

I used to hate it here. Cast into the sewers or slaved to the bone were my only two choices.
Of course, I chose the sewers.

But look at this small little town now. Sitting south of the main river that separates us from that place…The City of Lynn. I can feel its threatening gaze.

I would like to visit one day… I have questions. I want them answered.

Little girls were skipping in the streets this morning. I saw them when Alexa and I stretched our legs across the town’s rooftops. Who would have thought? Nobody, I can guarantee you.

I have never felt so free. Even with danger presenting on all sides.

There it goes again. That sound.
My Valen has a trick up his sleeve. He snores spread-eagled on the bed behind me. I am not sure I am going to allow it. He is his own man, though.

I must sleep. Tomorrow will again test my resolve.

— C

I don’t know if I trust him. I really don’t know.

He seems… calculating, determined, observing. But isn’t that what I need from an army councilman?

Valen seems to trust him, but then my man could pull the splinter from an angry wolf’s paw, and he would trust the animal while doing it.

This monster outside our walls still lurks. I need to see Viktor for advice, but that itself is fraught with danger.

Viktor…

He’d best be looking after my two treasures. Well, four treasures actually.

The council look wary, but it’s what they signed up for. We need to harvest, or everyone will starve. At least we all agree on one thing.

I need to run. The rooftops are calling me.

I will stay strong

— C

I’m going back to my writing den to finish Chloe’s story, and while I do, she’s going to write to you directly.

She’s been wanting to write to you. Here she is.

— G.J.

​

I miss them so much. The journey home from the east tore my heart from my chest. I left so many of the people I love behind.

My Valen. My rock. I would have been a mess without him.

Outside our small town of Fairacre, something I have heard of but never seen until now is making a hell of a racket.

My people are so strong. I can see fear in their eyes, but they stand true next to me.

Could you imagine that a few seasons ago, I was sneaking out of a horrible-smelling sewer? Unbelievable what can happen when people stand together and act.

There it goes again. That sound. It tears through my head. Valen, my giant of a man, is sitting in his office with his fingers in his ears.

I am so tired, but I cannot slink away and hide. I so want to, though, so badly. Just let me lie in his arms.

That sound.

I need to sign this off and get back out there.

Time to be brave, Chloe.

- C