SALT LAKE CITY UT April 14, 2016
British author and poet P. J. Reed was pondering what to write one day over a cup of tea and Belgian tiffin slice, when a ragged warlock flashed into her thoughts.
“He was sitting dejectedly in a tiny garret above an inn, as his forces suffered yet another defeat at the hands of their all-powerful enemies,” Reed reflects. “I could smell the smoke and see the fear in his eyes. I thought what’s going to happen to him, and suddenly the whole story unfolded before me, writing itself.”
WiDo Publishing™ submissions editor Allie Maldonado found this high fantasy novel fascinating and exciting. “P.J has written a tale of depth and intrigue, complex but not confusing, with multi-faceted characters you can absolutely cheer for. Pretty amazing for a first novel. It’s a great foundation for a series.”
The author is in the process of writing the sequel. It deals with the three heroes–the mage, the messenger and the soldier–regarding their escape from Stantorr Dungeon, their cross-kingdom flight and the retribution of the land of Mivir. The characters are very important to Reed, and she works at making them real, identifiable and continually interesting.
“P.J. does an excellent job of giving her characters life and variety. I kept reading as much for them as for the plot,” says Maldonado.
A lifelong lover of SciFi and Fantasy, Reed liked that WiDo was seeking these kinds of submissions. “I thought we’d have an immediate connection,” she states. “They are a small, family-run publisher who only publishes a couple books a month, which means they will take great care with each book and can really get to know you as a writer and your story. I also loved the artwork on their covers. It’s of high quality and individual to each book, so I rejected my other offers to become a WiDo author.”
“Being a published poet, P. J. knows how to use economy of language to create a scene and build a world. I think she’s a natural at writing fantasy. We look forward to having a long, prolific relationship with her,” Maldonado states.
P. J. Reed is a writer and poet from England. She holds a Bachelor of Education from Canterbury Christ Church University and an MA from Bradford University. She has been widely published in anthologies and collections. She writes speculative fiction based on fantasy worlds filled with magic, intrigue and adventure. P. J. lives in Devon, England with a handful of teenagers, one feral cat and a dog called Fizz. Her website is found at http://wickedpoetry.jiggsy.com.