mermaids – Legend of The Lost

Life Lessons in a Fantasy World

April 13, 2020October 9, 2020 ianpbuckingham

One of the benefits of publishing a piece of writing is the positive impact it has on others, how it touches their lives and makes the world just a little bit better. Well we were delighted to receive this lovely review the other day and I wanted to share that with you for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it’s clear that the reviewer really enjoyed Legend of the Lost, the fist installment of the changeling trilogy.

Secondly, because it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the core theme of the first book, the corruption of love into a form of pandemic that threatens the natural and super-natural world, has a lot of resonance in these dark times. As more pople use their “down time” during the C-virus crisis, more people are finding time to read. Hopefully, when they pick up Legend of the Lost they will find magic, entertainment, thrills, hope and, above all, love.

Here’s what our reviewer had to say:

Legend of the Lost focuses on a world of fairies, nymphs, witches and were-beasts which discreetly exists alongside our own. It begins by the Atlantic, in west Cornwall, as a young girl meets a mermaid and quickly realises that she is deeply connected to this parallel realm. Gradually the story moves inland, primarily to English woodland, as it builds into a traditional climax of good versus evil… but with an insightful deeper message.

I thought the interactions weaving between the supernatural, natural and human worlds were well done and the sea and forest locations beautifully captured, leaving my mind full of blues and greens. The fact that the locations are real made this super-natural world all the more touchable, anyone who has strayed into woodland as dusk falls will know the feeling. And I loved the fact that the animals I see in the wild in my real life – foxes, kites, deer – mix freely here with rather more mystical creatures.

There are strong environmental themes: man has polluted his world and it is this poison which has led nature and super-nature to turn bad. Nobody and nothing – it turns out – is entirely good or bad, and even those who are more the latter may be so for good reason, even deserving of sympathy.

This is a story for older children and younger adults: yes definitely for girls, but I hope also for boys with the gifts of openness and imagination, and meanwhile there are plenty of monsters, beasts and battles to get stuck into alongside the whimsy. In fact, “Legend of the Lost” is also an enjoyable read for adults who have retained their sense of wonder, but they probably won’t be the primary readership.

Overall, beautiful writing, natural settings, clever interactions between the real and the fantastical, some great environmental themes and that good ol’ “good versus evil” climax, but where the line between the two lies is rather less clear than may first appear.

Apparently this is the first in a trilogy, and there is an accompanying interactive website for those who get immersed.

Many will.

*Signed and dedicated copies are available direct from the team or via a number of dedicated suppliers.

Reviews, Social media and publicity, Uncategorized

Mums Share the Magic

March 13, 2019 Legend of the Lost A Family Saga

Delighted thatLegend of the Lost has been recently reviewed by two busy and inspirational mothers.

One is a rebel scribe and home schooling champion from Wales, Kelly Allen. The other, a very widely read Mumsnet influencer, Jenny from the highly acclaimed The Brick Castle.

Both Kelly and Jenny give considered accounts of the first book in the changeling trilogy.

Jenny published a detailed and well thought through analysis of the book’s appeal to children aged around 9+ :

Throughout the book you know that something big is going to happen, but can’t quite put your finger on what it’s going to be. The description of mystical folk and their abilities is underplayed and that gives it more of a realism somehow. You just accept who can fly, or transform, and learn more alongside some of the characters as they are pushed to their limits and discover what they are really capable of.

Coincidentally, Jenny hails from Derbyshire where some of the inspiration for the story and its characters originated.

Given she is also a home tutor, we were especially delighted by the way Kelly summarises the book’s appeal:

I really love how this book is written. I’ts full of so many beautiful descriptions and we immediately fell in love with the little family. The writing is spot on for the age range it’s aimed at (7-11), even though I think it’s a perfect read no matter what your age!

There’s so much action and adventure throughout that it’s hard to put it down, but this is a good thing! I’d say it’s a pretty perfect read for any family with a sense of adventure and heart…

Please do pop over to both of their sites to read the reviews in full and to catch up with all the very interesting publications, competitions and other activities they champion on behalf of children in the 7-11 and young adult age ranges.

About the author, Ian P Buckingham, Legend of the Lost book 1, Uncategorized

All They Really Want for Christmas is Time

December 20, 2018 ianpbuckingham

Being connected to social media is like being plugged into the thoughts and feelings of millions of people simultaneously.

That should be and often is a very good thing, but d it can be overwhelming at times.

Unfortunately, Christmas has become a time of great pressure, both financially and emotionally with people feeling they have to go to greater and greater lengths to buy THE must have gadget or replace all the soft furnishings before the relatives arrive.

In the few short months since the first book in the Legend of the Lost trilogy has been published, listening to the feedback of readers from around the world, what has really struck me is the fact that the right books hold a special place in people’s hearts. This has nothing to do with the cost or the conspicuousness of the purchase to keep up with the peer group. It is mostly to do with the reading experience.And I am so pleased to hear tales of people reading this book together.

They are investing that most important resource that all children especially respond to, time; time invested; time out.

Nothing gives me greater delight than busy Dads telling me that they downloaded it on their device and are now reading it at bed time; grandparents who have sent copies to their beloved grandchildren far away with messages of love or Moms first taking time out to read it for themselves then repeating the process with their children having created dedicated reading time, reading purely for pleasure, together.

In a recent interview with the publishers Book Guild, I outlined that igniting imaginations was one of my aims and it delights me that this is happening.

So as you succumb to the inevitable stresses and strains of the festive period, consider this quaint tradition from Iceland and, if you’re feeling bewildered or overwhelmed, take to bed with a good book.

Merry Christmas from the entire changeling family…….

Legend of the Lost book 1, Social media and publicity, Uncategorized

What type of reader are you?

September 21, 2018September 22, 2018 Legend of the Lost A Family Saga

Me?

I love to get my hands on a book, the actual, physical copy.

I crave the whole experience of the look and the feel of the cover art and even the smell of the freshly printed pages.

I like to interact with the book. I’m afraid to say I make notes and mark pages, highlight passages that really speak to me. For me, my copy becomes something new and different as a result of my reading experience.

But then I have friends who are horrified by this. They treat their books like treasures or relics and virtually don white gloves to read them.

Some have been known to buy hard and soft copies, one for their collection and the other for the reading part.

Latterly, many people buy and store their books on their devices, especially if they do a lot of reading on the go.

Well, whatever your preferences, Legend of the Lost is available in a range of formats, from the traditional physical book with that sensual purple cover that has been such a big hit, through to the Kindle edition, available to read instantly from the Amazon store.

Personally, I admire the approach taken by this reader:

“We had to have the hard copy and wanted Ian to sign it. That now takes pride of place and we’ve bought Kindle versions for our friends so we can share the experience.”

But how you mix up your options to suit your lifestyle and preferences is entirely down to you.

To celebrate the launch of the Kindle version, however, here’s another brief extract from Legend of the Lost.

It’s a key moment for Holly and Savannah which changes everything for them both, forever.

We’ve chosen carefully to avoid spoilers, which those of you who have read the book will know, isn’t easy:

“Just for fun, she had brought the scarlet robe with her, hidden in a carrier bag. She pulled it about her as she sat down on the flattest rock to wait, being sure to tuck the bag away in her pocket.

She wasn’t there for long before the figure of her friend appeared from the seaward side of the beach, looking radiant in a long ocean blue dress and golden hair band. She smiled as she saw Holly, who stood up to greet her.

“Don’t you find that this is always a little bit of a blowy spot?” Holly said, forgetting for a moment that Savannah had no spoken words.

Savannah smiled, looked deep into Holly’s eyes and then took her hand and led her towards the cliff-face. It looked as though they were headed for a dead end, but it must have been an optical illusion caused by the way the boulders were lying.

Soon, much to Holly’s surprise, they were at a part of the beach that she hadn’t noticed was accessible before. Here, their footprints seemed to be the very first, not just for this tide but ever.

After a short walk, they approached what looked like a solid rock wall, covered in ivy and seagrass. Savannah reached forward and drew the grassy and leafy covering aside like living curtains. She then gestured for Holly to follow her inside.

What greeted them as they stepped, blinking, into a cool, cavernous, salty-smelling space simply took Holly’s breath away.”

Legend of the Lost book 1, Reviews, Social media and publicity, Uncategorized

Announcing a New Arrival!

August 29, 2018 Legend of the Lost A Family Saga

Legend of the Lost, the first in the changeling trilogy, had its official birthday today as it becomes available on all platforms globally.

Aimed at the 7-11 age range it joins a rich and magical pantheon of fiction for children.

It arrives at a time when childhood is coming under increasing pressure from online social media and the examination regimes our schools face that can sometimes distract from the need for children to read for pleasure as well as education.

But the power of stories and mythology is under-rated and young imaginations are ripe and hungry for inspiration.

Time invested reading is never lost time and we hope that this trilogy can help nurture and sustain that magic in some small way.

Whether you hope to get hold of yours via book fairy, owl post or snail mail, will be going old school and visiting a library or an enchanted book shop, or, indeed prefer soft copies, our distribution partners* hopefully have all angles covered.

So please do join the Savage changeling family on their magical journey of discovery as they reunite, gain strength from each other and struggle to save amazing parts of our little blue planet and the creatures that call them home, along the way.

We very much look forward to hearing from you as your stories form part of ours.

My thanks to everyone involved and to you for buying a copy.

Very best wishes from us all and happy reading.

Ian

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*Just a few of the available outlets: