That moment struck during a visit to the Varna Archaeological Museum where I saw a collection of finds unearthed accidentally in the 1970's by a construction crew. The artefacts were a cache of gold and grave offerings that, when carbon dated in 2004, turned out to be oldest worked gold in the world. Archaeological excavations of the site revealed a Chalcolithic Age (commonly known as Copper Age) necropolis, a necropolis that changed our view of that transition from humans using stone tools to developing complex societies.
The 'what if' was:
"What if something ancient and powerful was unearthed by archaeologists? What would men do to get their hands on that ancient power? Who would they kill, and who would die to protect it?"
That became the premise for the series of books.
My protagonist is a female, Bristol based archaeologist, Dr Sasha Blake and the hero is an agent, Tom Sheridan, who works for a covert organisation that repatriates stolen antiquities from the black market, The Agency.
Together they embark on an international mission to find the Bronze Box, four rings that act as the keys to the box, and an ancient manuscript - its instruction manual.
It took four years to research, develop, plan and write the first book, The Bronze Box. I finally published it in 2013. The rest of the books were already in my head, I always knew it would be a series of books, the complex web of intrigue and conspiracy I weave into the books needs four books to unravel! It was just a case of making a plan, having a routine and sticking to it so I could write and publish the rest of the series over the course of the next three years.
To culminate this seven-year project, I'm about to publish a 4 in 1 bumper eBook Boxset. All four Sheridan and Blake books in one eBook. Instead of buying 4 separate books, you'll be able to buy the whole lot in one book and binge-read it.
This is what it will look like:
- The Bronze Box
- Solomon's Secrets
- Gabriels Game - Part 1, The White Queen
- Gabriels Game - Part 2, The Black Knight
- As well as more about me, my journey and inspiration for the books in an author summary.
Adding all the books together into one book this week, I'm going through the stories again, making small changes to ensure consistency in formatting etc. and naturally, I can't help but tweak bits of it too!
I've been immersing myself in the world of Sheridan and Blake and enjoying the experience all over again. Falling in love once more with my characters and their story!
I've also come across more spine-tingling quotes. Here's a few:
The Bumper eBook Box Set is coming soon...
I hosted a webinar recently 'Meet the Author' - here's the recording. In it I share more about my journey into writing, my process and inspiration. Packed with insights for curious readers and tips for budding writers:
Stay in touch!
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