Books
When you have the time - put it to use for something fun
I've always been about getting my ideas out there. And that's not limited to ways of teaching and working in higher education. It also applies to the stories rattling around my imagination. So several years ago (before I had my kids and so had all the free time in the world), my wife suggested I write down a particular idea I'd had for an adventure story about a thief, an ancient artefact, and a fun idea about what if many of our creation myths were built on some truth that we just weren't ready to understand.
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And so three books later, the Order of the Nexus became a thing; a series telling the complete tale of Greg Cross and his journey to find the Nexus, and the secret behind some incredible abilities he never sought to have but that powerful forces will kill to possess.
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Then recently, my eldest daughter, who's 8, asked me to draw the pages of a story she had come up with that she wanted to write for her little brother's 4th birthday; a story of not judging others and of making friends - the Candy Floss Dragon. I'm so proud of her in doing this, and the support she showed for her brother starting school by having this idea. So have a look below, buy it, read it to your own children, and leave a lovely review on Amazon.
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Myth tells us that the cradle of civilisation was created and nurtured by the gods. History tells us that mankind developed along its own path, and that many ancient kings believed themselves to be gods and were revered as such.
But what if the truth were something in between?
This is the reality that master thief Greg Cross now finds himself facing. What started out as a simple job for a trusted associate has quickly spiralled into a race to uncover secrets hidden since the dawn of civilisation. A race between those who seek the truth in order to take the next step in mankind’s destiny, and those who wish to claim it for their own and use it to rebuild an empire lost to them millennia ago. It is a mission that Greg cannot deny his role in; because he now possesses an ancient power that is the key to unlocking the secret of the Nexus.
Allied with those who have fought all their lives to find and protect the truth, Greg must now learn to accept what he has become if he is to master it and survive the trials to come. For although he now embodies a potential seen in man long ago, his is not the only secret of the past to have resurfaced...
Throughout history, heroes and villains have sought to obtain the artifacts and treasures left behind by the gods believing they will bring them great power. Some are merely legend; some, embellishments of ordinary objects; and some may just be the real deal.
Greg Cross is a man who knows this all too well, because his own encounter with just such a relic, though bequeathing him a power unseen since times of myth, very nearly cost him his life.
Now on the hunt for another ancient artifact, the final piece of a puzzle left behind by the last member of the enigmatic Order of the Nexus, Greg and his friends must follow in the footsteps of those who last sought it over a thousand years ago. But this particular piece is one of the most famous myths in the world, and one that in the wrong hands could tip the balance of power towards the very darkness the Order hoped to prevent.
In every age of man, weapons have been designed with a single purpose; to kill. But one, forged by the gods and given to a king, was designed to unite a kingdom and inspire a nation.
But what if it was designed to unite something much greater?
An entry discovered in the Library of Uruk, written in the hand of the founder of the Order of the Nexus, suggests the legendary Excalibur may have been much more than the symbol of power of the rightful King of Briton. It could be the final piece of the puzzle in unlocking the Secret of the Nexus, and the key to understanding the power of the Avatar.
Having barely scratched the surface of what he has become, Greg Cross has a vested interest in helping his friends track down the legendary blade. But they will have to hurry. For the cult of Enlil did not die with its god, and continues to work in his name; its leaders unknown and its goals a threat to all.
A darkness is rising and a new age is coming...
A carefree dragon finds that it's not so easy to make friends when you're big with sharp teeth, and have wings, scales, and have spikes running down your back. It's no fun being judged by how you look - especially when how you look is not all it seems.
A tale of learning not to judge, to accept others for who they are and not how they look. A story written by an amazing 7 year old girl for her little brother's 4th birthday so he wouldn't be scared starting school that year