Sacrifice -- new Bolinda cover

 

Only two books to go in the new audiobook collection!  All on schedule -- here is the great new cover for "Sacrifice"  -- very atmospheric.......

Where Martha was incarcerated

 

Posted on Facebook -- a great painting of the Old Bridge, Haverfordwest, looking up towards the castle.  This is where Martha was incarcerated for a crime she did not commit, as described in the pages of "On Angel Mountain."

Dealing with characters

One of the biggest challenges in writing a series of 8 novels with more than a million words is to keep track of the characters, and the relationships that they have with one another.  In some novels there are just a handful of characters -- but in the Angel Mountain Saga there are more than 200, many of whom play important roles in the narrative as it develops.  They all have their back stories. During the writing process I kept a comprehensive list, with much more information than is contained in the "character list" below.  I needed to hold in my mind details of where these people lived, how old they were,  what they looked like, who their friends and enemies were, what they wore, and what their characteristics were -- even down to their manner of speaking.  Every now and then I made mistakes, and failed to get away with it. Every author needs to remember that if your novel -- or novels -- strike a chord and acquire a following, there will be some people out there who are more familiar with the story than you are!  I well remember being pulled up twice -- once by somebody who noticed that a certain character lived at one address in one book and on another farm in the next book, and then somebody else who noticed that a key character had blonde hair in one book and black hair in another.  You can never be too careful......... just as in films, somebody or other is sure to pick up on every little error and anachronism........

CHARACTER LIST (extract)

Samuel Stokes, b 1811, heavily involved in Rebecca Riots. Friend of Martha 1847.

Daniel Thomas, new Mayor of Newport (also Coroner) in 1806. Llewelyn Thomas, rector of Newport 1824-1875. Enemy of Martha.

John Thomas, senior deacon of Capel Brynberian in 1846.

Ceredig ap Tomos, Squire of New Moat, in love with Martha for years. Born 1769. Committed suicide after cancelled wedding, 24 Aug 1822. In third story.

Solomon Tomos, Fachongle Isaf (strict Caersalem) good but very intolerant.

Zeke Tomos Pencrugiau, b 1800, tenant on Bayvil estate 1837. One of Ceffyl Pren gang. Killed by Martha 1844. Villain during Rebecca Riots.

Charlie Toms, Churchwarden and one of the Overseers of the Poor 1800-08. Involved the adoption of Brynach.

Bobby Toms, Clerk to the Justices in 1846.

Billy Truscott, smuggler west of Fishguard 1800.

Moll Truscott (Moll Liberal Favours) prostitute from Fishguard, sister of Billy.

Thomas Tucker (b 1760, d 1825), wife Mary and three children,

tenants at Penrhiw to 1825.

Waldo Tucker, oldest son, b 1790, took over as Penrhiw tenant 1825. Died Dec 1844. No heirs.

Tomos Turner, wood turner from Newport 1800.

Jonas Vaughan, Castlebythe, elderly squire, feeble but honest.

Aaron Voyle, b 1780, tenant at Llystyn after purchase 1817. Involved in Rebecca Riots.

Shoni Wallis (Shoni Hallelujah), deacon of Bethesda 1797.

Benji Walter, corn merchant from Parrog. Married Bessie, died 1802 in accident

Alban Watkins, b 1755, Squire of Llannerch, transported to NSW in 1799. Murdered in 1806. Wife Myfanwy and daughters Rose and Daisy moved to Scotland after loss of the estate in 1797. Villain in first and second books.

Benjamin Watkins, old cousin of Alban, merchant in Newport 1806.

Announcement: the new web site is live!

At last, our new web site, timed to coincide with the new logo and with Martha Morgan's 21st anniversary, is published and is live on the web.  It contains information on all 8 of the books (including the audiobooks) and some of the background to the stories.   But we have deliberately kept it clean and rather sparse.  There are also links to our associated web sites.  Enjoy!  And please share.......

https://www.angelmountainsaga.com

 

Alternative logo

 

Here is the new cover design for "Flying with Angels",  created by my son Martin as a replacement for the old jacket, which was looking seriously dated.  It's also a homage to the Bolinda audiobooks which are coming along steadily, on schedule. (One of their jackets has the same female image featured on it........)   In the background is the REAL Carningli, and I like the flock of ravens.  So all 8 of the novels now use the same house style, apart from "Sacrifice" which is a one-off.

 

New cover for "Dark Angel"

 

This is the new jacket for "Dark Angel", recently designed by my son Martin.  It's quite a powerful and mysterious image -- as befites the contents of the book!   And it fits the "house style" very well indeed.  So this will replace the old jacket next time a reprint is due, and it will be used very soon for  the Kindle edition of the book.

Guardian Angel Audiobook published

 To celebrate the publication of the new Bolinda audiobook, here is a review that appeared when the paperback was published:

This is the sixth novel in the hugely popular Martha Morgan series. It begins with Martha’s death, but if you are a fan of the character, don’t be put off, as I'm sure you'll like the new heroine just as much.
As a prologue to the main story, there is a very entertaining chapter of how a long forgotten manuscript is found in offices of the London publishers Pickersniff and Jebson. This script is by a Susanna Ravenhill, and it is set in Newport and on Carningli or ‘Angel Mountain’, the setting of the other novels. Susanna Ravenhill is an assumed name, but who is the attractive older woman determined to protect the mountain at all costs?

It is hard to describe the main plot without giving away the first big surprise of the novel. The book is as warm-hearted and heartfelt as all of Brian John’s series. It is at its best on the mountain and in the tight knot of Martha Morgan’s family and community. It is a little less convincing when it leaves there, but there is also a good sequence in Paris and an excellent section where Susanna goes to live in the poorest community of Merthyr Tydfil, a slum area called ‘China’, trying to help the desperate people living there. John really brings to life the hell on earth of the Victorian industrial revolution for the poor fighting to survive.

If you are new to the Carningli series, I would definitely recommend beginning with the first On Angel Mountain. I’m sure it will make you want to read the rest. Guardian Angel is an entertaining addition to the series for fans and I hope it won’t be the last.

Janet Thomas

A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

New logo for the Saga

This is our new logo for the Angel Mountain Saga. A lot of thought has gone into it, including consultations........ with the help of Steve and Martin, we played about with various concepts, and out of that Martin came up with something that was almost there. So we employed a logo designer for the final tweaking -- and this is the result. We are delighted with it -- it's visually attractive and sophisticated, and suggests some sort of narrative. The raven is in there, to induce a spirit of enquiry on the part of the observer, and the shapes of the letters suggest a mountainous terrain, with sweeping curves going up to heaven and down into the lowlands. Very stylish lettering too.


So this will now be used all over the place........