The story of the book
I’ve not mentioned it in so many words recently, but The Moonhollow Origins was actually originally released in 2015, aimed for a much younger audience, as I believed (as many young writers do) that they’re going to write the next Harry Potter, and so I targeted the audience I believed appropriate. But truly, it didn’t feel like the version it was meant to be. I couldn’t express the version of Kestrel and his world in the way that felt most natural to me. And in 2015, indie writers were low on the ground, with little support and means of feedback to really give their stories the justice they deserved.
However, this was confirmed for me by being invited to attend BAFTA and the Kinoteka Film Festival in 2017, where The Moonhollow Origins was workshopped for a week and then ultimately pitched to industry professionals on how best to be adapted to a film, most notably from Imaginarium Studios. After a week of peer feedback, and ultimately by these professionals, it was clear that my debut needed a firm rewrite to truly reflect the book I thought it could be.
Fast forward to this year, where the balance of family and work life and various planets and stars aligning meant The Moonhollow Origins was finally released as the start of the book series I always felt it could be! Now, it simply means that I’m onto the next (literal) chapter of this journey, working on book number 2 – The Moonhollow Rising. Definitely watch for further details about this, as we plan to create a number of giveaways in the build-up to release.
