Manfred

Author Interview with Manfred on the Mercedes Fox Author Blog.
Halo, lovelies! Welcome to Interview FoxSeat with guest author Manfred

Manfred is the author name for a Melbourne born writer who now lives in Copenhagen Denmark. Manfred has been writing for many years and Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium is his first novel in the YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance genre. Manfred also has a degree in English literature and Philosophy from Copenhagen University and his main interests besides writing and Gold-Making are watching films, travelling to exotic places like India, reading Fairytales and Romances, playing the guitar and the piano and taking his pet dog Shimba for walks with his son Tristan by the beach or in the forest. His favourite authors are the Scottish Father of Fairytales George Macdonald, the Romantic poet and Radical William Blake and a whole host of Fairytale and fantasy writers like Lewis Carrol, James Barrie, Jean Ingelow, J.K. Rowlings and Tolkien. His favourite foods are pizza, lasagne, vegetable pies and spicy Indian food. He also has an addiction to drinking hot chocolate and eating very rich and yummy cheese cakes!

1) Why do you write and when did you decide to become a writer?

I write for many reasons – on one level I write to escape the monotony and predictability of ordinary life. On another level I write to explore the otherworldly and magical side of myself – the one who lives in my imagination and dreams and helps me discover an enchanted world of magic, witches, fairies and fairy tales.

I don’t know when I decided to become a writer as such. I began to write in my late teens and kept on exploring the other side of myself in novels, short stories, plays and poems until I decided that I had some stuff that others might find interesting to read and was worth publishing. I guess it was then that I decided to become a writer.

2) Give us an insight into your main character. What makes him or her so special?

The main character in the book is the young Witch Mirabelle Sommerfield. The entire story is told through her eyes, beginning with her as a teenage Witch and ending with her development into a young woman who has attained Wisdom. I think the reason why she is so special is that her fabulous adventures in the otherworld are juxtaposed with her Rite of Passage in this world – where she grows from girlhood into maturity. I like working with that idea – that the inner world of magic and our imagination can mirror the important events which happen to us in our everyday life and play such a central part in our growth and psychological development.

Mirabelle of course isn’t alone in this process. And along with her magical helpers, she also has many friends and allies on the physical plane. Her Grandma for example gets her started by telling her heaps of stuff about being an apprentice Witch and introducing her to the Dungeons Of Lethe Game – in the book the DOL Game is a very old game played by young Witches and Sorcerers as part of their Initiation into Magick. Mirabelle starts to play it seriously a couple of months after her 13th Birthday.

Her Mother and little brother are also important. The Wish Mirabelle makes with them in the beginning of the book kind of opens up the door for her later adventures. Mirabelle’s best friend Lucy also plays a big part in Mirabelle’s life. Lucy is vivacious, charming, a little bit mad and she definitely provides much of the comic plot twists and humour in the story. She is also a Fairy Queen in disguise so that gives her the opportunity to do loads of Magic – and in the end her and Mirabelle discover that they both share a very special bond that makes them inseparable! But I can’t say too much about that here. You just have to read the story!

3) Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just seeing where an idea takes you?

Definitely both. I think when I write I tread the fine line between creative inspiration and going with the flow and trying to consciously follow the red thread which gives the novel coherence and substance. It’s very curious because at various stages in the writing process, the characters and the plot often start to take on a life of their own and I am very surprised where the story ends up. And I think how on earth did that happen? This phenomenon is not unusual for writers, especially those who are writing stuff about fairies and magic and the otherworld. Your rational, conscious self is kind of put on hold and your imaginative personae takes over. It is really quite an exciting and inspiring process.

4) Do you ever feel self-conscious when writing love/sex scenes?

No. I totally love romantic and erotic scenes. Romance is woven through everything I write. And although I don’t write hard core erotica, there is usually two or three tasteful and steamy love scenes in my books, like with this book about Mirabelle – she has a teenage romance with the Sorcerer in the book called Night Opium. This romance is put on hold for a while but really blooms later on. She also has a bit of a thing for one of the three Fairy Queens which appear in the book. This Fairy is the youngest and most mischievous of the fairy Queens in the story and she is called Apricot Lantern. She is there from the very start of the novel and during Mirabelle’s 17th birthday a very humorous erotic episode occurs with her and her Fairy!

5)Where do you come up with your stories?

Sometimes I really wonder. But I think that they come from three main sources – the first and most obvious source being episodes from my own life experiences including my travels. This book is set in London for example. I have never lived in London but I have visited the city and other places in the UK several times, so a lot of what I have seen and experienced over there goes into the book. The second source of inspiration is the books I have read and which have made a deep impression on me – stuff from the fairytale and fantasy tradition like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland and the Scottish Father of Fairytales George Macdonald, along with my favourite authors from the Hermetic Magical tradition like Dion Fortune. I have also been very interested in Jung’s writings on Alchemy and the collective unconscious. So I kind of put ideas and themes from these various sources and genres and came up with the idea of “A Fairytale in the Goldmaking Tradition.”

Last of all my writing is inspired by my inner dream life and my links to what I call the otherworld. There I meet the most amazing characters and have the most extraordinary dialogues and imaginative experiences. I have to write all of these internal dialogues and experiences down. Or else I would just explode thinking about them!

6) What is the one great lesson you have learned as a writer?

The greatest lesson I have learnt as a writer is that we are not limited to our conscious rationale personae. As Jung once said, there is another inside us who communicates to us in our dreams and fantasies and appears to know much more about us than we know about ourselves. The ancient seers called this other our Genius, our Daimon, our Guardian Fairy, our Higher self and so on.

7)Do you have any fur babies to brag about?

My fur baby is our little Bichon Havanaise Shimba. He is so sweet and cute that I have even included him as a minor character in the story – Mirabelle meets him through the Father of Wishes, when she celebrates her 16th birthday in the Land of Wishes. Along with Mirabelle’s little brother, the Baby, Shimba is definitely the cutest character in the book!

8) If there was one thing you could do to change the world, what would it be?

I would make sure that there was a LOT more love and magic in it than there is now. Everyone thinks that the problems of the world can be solved through economic development, politics and technology. And of course all this helps. But I believe that the only thing that can really help the world is if people get in touch with the magical other inside them – that they tune into their higher Genius or Damion or whatever you want to call it and start to imagine and commune with all the magic, dreams and visions inside them. And then when they have discovered that, they will find something else – the ability to open up to the universe and learn how to love all the amazing creatures in it – people, animals, trees, rocks, and so on. Love is the most important thing in the universe – but the key to awakening love in ourselves I believe is through our fantasy and imagination……

9) How important are your readers to you?

My readers are very important to me. I have this idea that through my books I can share my visions and ideas with likeminded souls who will understand where I am coming from and what I am trying to say and they will link up with it. Of course there will be many people who will like what I write because they find some of the characters and stuff strange, witty and entertaining. There will also be readers who will hate my stuff because it is too weird or esoteric – that is fine as well.

But what I am really looking for are readers who will just totally connect with what I have done and will want to solve all the various riddles and enigmas hidden in the pages of the book. This requires a lot of perseverance and patience and I haven’t really found many of these readers yet. But if you are one of these, please don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts. I would love to hear from you!


There ya have it folks! For more about Manfred, his work, and to get your copy, follow the links below:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...

Amazon/ amazon.com/author/riddleofnightopium

INTERVIEW LINK TO MERCEDES FOX.
https://mercedesfoxbooks.com/meet-aut...

ESKIEMAMABLOG - is holding a give away of three PDF and two paperback copies of our book Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium. Giveaway begins Sunday the 26th of February and ends 28th of March.

https://eskiemamareads.blogspot.dk/20...



https://www.facebook.com/events/18149...

Frre ebook in exchange for a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

DETAILS

1 - Book's name is Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.

2 - The book was released on Amazon in February 2017

3 - I am offering free copies of the book in PDF form for those who want to post a short review on Goodreads and/or Amazon.

4 - Format is PDF only.

Looking forward to hear from interested parties. For a free PDF copy write to me on - mirandamoondawn@gmail.com

Best Regards
Manfred

See Giveaway on the Next Best Book Club Promo site.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Hi everyone, I am offering a free ebook for review in the YA Buddy Reader's Corner Group - it is listed under the section Buddy Read and Review and is scheduled for the 23rd of February.

Here is the link
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

1 - Book's name is Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.

2 - The book was released on Amazon in February 2017

3 - I am offering 25 free copies of the book in PDF form for those who want to post a short review on Goodreads and/or Amazon.

4 - Format is PDF only.

Looking forward to hear from interested parties.

Best Regards
Manfred

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Mirador Publishing’s latest literary sensation! - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium

If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest YA epic fantasy novel - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.” The story begins in East Finchley London where, after making a Wish with her mother and little brother, the young Witch Mirabelle discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it.

The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer the Magician and Alchemist Night Opium, who wants to make the young Witch his apprentice and share his knowledge of Sorcery and Goldmaking with her. But neither the young Wizard nor Mirabelle fully comprehend the nature of the great powers that they are playing with and, not long after that, the young Witch discovers that her Romantic Fairytale has suddenly changed to become the most dreadful and sinsiter game: a game which has been played as part of the Rite of Passage of young Witches and Wizards for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe (D.O.L.) Game.

To complete her Initiation as an apprentice Witch and emerge victorious in the D.O.L. Game, Mirabelle has to now overcome several powerful and deadly adversaries, including the deliciously wicked Lady Nightshadow and her ghastly Gold-making engines, as well as taking part in three Magical Battles or Tasks, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last. If she fails or is defeated in any of these tasks not only will her own world of Magic and Fairytales be destroyed, but the sinisiter Lethean enchantments emanating from Lady Nightshadow's ghastly engines will continue to spin their Mistress's nefarious web over the inhabitants of the city of London.

Fortunately for her, Mirabelle has powerful friends and allies to help her in her struggle, the saucy one foot one Fairy, Apricot Lantern, the madly eccentric Father of Wishes and her devoted admirer, the Hermetic Goldmaker and Poet Night Opium himself. Eventually, during the third and last Battle with Lady Nightshadow, the young Witch realizes that for her to preserve her world of Magic and Fairytales and to save the world from a frightful Dystopian future, she will have to pool all her magic and resources together with Night Opium's knowledge of Sorcery and Hermetic Alchemy.

The nail biting climax to the story occurs, when one of London’s most prestigious theatre companies decides to ally themselves with the young Witch and her wacky Wizard by performing the latter's weird and wonderful poem, the Londres Witch. When the poem is staged, all of the power and magic from their pooled enchantment streams out into the historic centre of Westminster London.

Not long after, all the familiar places in the city like Trafalgur Square, Piccadily and Kensington Gardens become embroiled in the D.O.L. Game and the lives of the city's inhabitants is changed forever in a way that noone not even the Sorcerer or Mirabelle themselves could ever have foreseen,

See how in our amazing new YA fantasy adventure novel Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium!

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really liked this book, but not as much as the Secret Garden.

This is a Cinderella story - a riches to rags and back to riches again type book, with the main focus of the novel on Sarah Crewe, the spoilt Princess who travels from India with her Papa to London where she is enrolled in a Girl's Boarding school.

With her beautiful dresses, manners, wit and immaculate French, she manages to enchant the entire school and becomes the prize pupil. However, she also has a very kind heart and she mothers the weaker students as well as the servant girl Becky who lives in poverty up in the attic. In every way she is the perfect Princess.

Things change very suddenly for her and she ends up as a poverty stricken and destitute orphan - there is no place for her in the school except as kitchen maid and French teacher to the younger girls. She is moved from her beautiful Princess room to share the servants quarters with Becky in the attic. Here she remains until her fortunes are restored.

This book is a reworking of Cinderella - but instead of the evil stepmother, there is the evil Headmistress of the school Miss Minchen and instead of the ugly stepsisters there is the spiteful Lavinia and one or two of the other girls who make Sarah's life Hell once she falls from her high position of wealth and favour. The cook and the other servants in the kitchen also make her life unbearable and she goes around in rags and tattered clothes just like Cinderella.

Sarah however retains her Princess demeanour under these adverse conditions and her trials are lightened by her favourite doll Emily, her comrade Becky and one or two of the students who remain faithful to her-

Her trials are also lightened by her befriending of a small family of rats in the wall of her room and a chance meeting with an Indian monkey. This meeting connects her both to her childhood world and the monkey's owner, a servant of an Indian gentlemen in the next building called Ram-dass (literally translated as servant of Ram).

As in the Secret Garden India represents the exotic world of Magic and mysterious predestined events. In the West we call this Fate and in India they call it Karma. With something of a background in India customs and beliefs, Frances Hodgson Burnett appears to be playing with the idea of Karma as well as the various Fairytale motifs.

The highlight of this meeting between Sarah and her beloved India occurs when Ram Dass, with the approval of his Master, lavishly decorates the attic while the two girls sleep there and brings them sumptuous food to ease their half starved condition.

In a similar way to the Secret Garden, food in A Little Princess has an almost mystical aura surrounding it - food not only nourishes the children's bodies but acts as a Holy Communion to nourish their souls. The fact that the food is supplied by unseen Fairy hands adds to this mystique and both Sarah and her attic comrade are quite convinced that everything has appeared by Magic. Of course, when you think about the way the events in the novel have come about, they are both right in this assumption.

I liked A Little Princess. Like all books of this period it is very didactic and even moralistic in its themes and its plot and at times it is difficult to believe that any young child given over to such injustice and abuse can tolerate it all with such patience and forbereance. But at the same time the message of a child's victory in the face of grown up and institutional abuse is an irresistible one, especially when it is set upon a background of Indian mysticism and a child's belief in Magic and Fairytales. Sarah only survives her years of abuse and enslavement because she can draw upon the resources of her own inner world - her imagination, her stories, her dreams, her love and compassion for others and most of all - her faith in herself as a Princess.

The entire book is set in the cold, wet, dark and foggy world of 19th century London. Unlike Mary in the Secret Garden, this little Princess doesn't receive much help from all those wonderful green, growing things that help heal and transform Mary and Colin. No, Sarah has to mostly draw deep upon her own inner resources and make the most out of her miserable surroundings, such as when she befriends the family of rats in her room. In this way, this is a story of a real Cinderella like Princess.

Review
by Manfred
23-1-2017



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The Secret Garden & A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The secret Garden is probably the most amazing and thought provoking children's book every written. Such a profound insight into the hearts and minds of the main characters Mary, Colin, Dicken etc- a little romanticised perhaps but still amazing.

The story is set in Yorkshire and it starts off with a kind of dark Gothic atmosphere with Mary stuck in this monstrous and spooky house and her only comrade of sorts is the servant girl Martha - Dicken's elder sister. The house at night is filled with all sorts of horrible tormented wailing which Mary bravely follows until she meets her bedridden and hypochondriac cousin Colin, the heir of the great manor house who is certain he is crippled, deformed and destined to die at a young age. He is in fact incredibly neglected by his father who has been mourning for a decade or so over his late wife who dies tragically in the Garden. After that he locks the Garden and closes it forever.

The company of Mary cheers the child up a bit, but it is not until he hears stories of the Secret Garden that Mary has just rediscovered that his interest in life is renewed. Eventually with the help of Martha's little brother Dicken, the Master of animals, plants and all other sorts of enchantment, the Secret Garden is brought to life again and Colin finally has something to live for other than his imaginery hump and other illnesses.

The main theme of the book the Garden itself symbolizes a kind of Paradise Lost that must be regained through the spiritual innocence, love and lifeaffirming Joy of the three children. Dicken is the Nature child in the story, a kind of Pan figure and the symbol of the pure rustic peasant child who, with his ability to charm animals and breathe life back into the soil, works miracles on first Mary who is the Keeper of the Secret Garden and then on Colin - who, as the heir of the Manor itself, is its owner.

A final miracle takes place at the end of the book which although stretching our gullibility as readers to the limit brings about the perfect resolution to the story. It is a lovely plot twist which not only reunites father and son again, but also restores the social order of things left by a ten year old tragedy and the abandonment of the Father's duties as Lord of the Manor.

This book was written towards the end of the 19th century about a time when the social order of England and societies links with Mother Nature and the pastoral idyll of the country life was viewed as sacrosanct - The author lived in a time that had not been devastated by two world wars, the Holocust, Hiroshima and the current trend of globalisation, the digital revolution and the infotainment society.

It is therefore a pretty slow paced book, filled with didactic passages and pretty morals, as well as a gushing Romantic sentimentalism. Even in the time it was written it is clear that the novel looks back to a Golden Age where the servants, villagers and their leige Lord were meant to live in a social harmony of bliss and harmony based on a set hierarchical structure ordained by God himself. It is also clear that it draws upon the old Renaissance idea of Mother Nature as being God's second book of revelation and instruction (the first book being the Bible). As such Nature is viewed in a totally non-Dawinistic sense. Instead of being Red in tooth and claw, Nature is both a guide and teacher as well as a benevolent and nurturing Mother - She is the Faery Queen of the New Eden which awakens at the touch of those like Dicken, Mary and Colin who see her with pure vision.

Dicken of course is the High Priest of this Eden, he is an archetypal Pan figure, the go-between for Mother Nature and the Fallen Adam and Eve of her world, Colin and Mary. When he connects them both back to their original link to her, the two are totally enthralled and awaken not only to the Secret Garden around them, but also the Secret Garden inside their own hearts and souls.

Colin and Mary both call this mystical awakening to Nature's Wisdom, White Magic and when he discovers its amazing healing powers, Colin vows that he will write books on the mystery of this magical force inside him and the Secret Garden. When the world learns of this Magic and Knowledge then all its problems and misery will disappear and the Paradise that existed at the morning of the world will be regained. This is a very odd idea for us in our time, but you have to remember that in those days Milton's Paradise Lost, along with Tennyson's Idylls of the King were two of the most important and influential books in the period. So the idea of regaining the Lost Paradise of Eden was not out of the question for people of the 19th century!

The film I think that was based on the book I thought was also amazingly beautiful.
There was a second book written Back to the Secret Garden, based on the first. But this book was written post WW II and the age of England's innocence along with the mystique of her Gardens was no longer there anymore was it?

Five stars for the Secret Garden - three stars for its sequel.

Review by Manfred
Heavily Rewritten 19-1-2017


Really like the whole India thing thats in it as well. Mary originally lived in India before she came to the Manor, so she brings some of the old stories and ideas from India which she learnt from her Ayah or Nurse there. Along with her meeting Dicken and finding the Garden, the stories from India help inspire her belief and Philosophy of White Magic.




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The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


George Macdonald is the Scottish Father of Fairytales - he was the inspiration for a lot of later fantasy writers including Lord Dunsany, CS Lewis and even the Great Bard of the Middle Earth sagas JRTolkien.

He wrote many children's stories and one of his best and most well known stories is the Princess and the Goblin - this book draws on familiar Fairytale motifs including the heroine Princess Irene as a symbolic Sleeping Beauty and her kindly Grandmother as a kind of Mother Goddess and Fairy Godmother figure that she meets in the attic.

The interesting part is that the hero of the book, Irene's friend Curdie. the Goblin chaser in the mines, cannot see her Grandmother when she shows her to him. And when she keeps insisiting that she is there, Curdie concludes that Irene is playing a cruel game with him - one that is totally unworthy of a true Princess.

As it happens, Curdie is very brave and courageous - he is very busy chasing the Goblins down in the mines, but at the same time he doesn't possess the Princess's insight and Wisdom and this creates a conflict between them and provides a very important moral for Macdonald's Fairytale.

Nowadays we all hate morals for stories, but in those times it was necessary to provide one. Even C.S LEWIS in his book TLTWATW instructs us with a similar moral, when Lucy slips into the wardrobe and comes back with stories of the fabulous land of Narnia and the faun Tumnus. Edmund also goes there but denys it. And her elder brother Peter and sister Susan conclude that Lucy is telling whoppers until the Professor teaches them the error of their ways through a system of logical elimination. Peter and Susan only have three choices - either Lucy is a liar or mad as a March Hare and if, in their experience, she is neither of these things, then OMG, she must be telling the truth.

In Macdonald's book, Curdie does the same. He acknowledges the Grandmother's existence and the Princess's special gift of gaining insight and knowledge through a medium other than the five senses. In the old days they would have said that Princess Irene had the Gift of the Sight. Nowadays they would say that she was clairvoyant. Either way, Macdonald plays the teacher in this section of the book by telling his readers not to dismiss the insights and gifts of others just because you don't have them yourself.

The book of course ends happily with a great battle against the Goblins and the clearing out of the mines so that everything in Irene's Kingdom can return to normal, including her Father the King coming back to bounce her on his knee and she and Curdie becoming best friends again.

I won't say more in case any of you haven't read the book.

I give it four stars because although it is an excellent and instructive children's book, it is not a work of Genius like Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan.

It's one weakness, like most of Macdonald's stories, is that it doesn't possess that charming and irresisitible humour that you will find in Lewis Carroll's Alice books or Barrie's Peter Pan. Most of his attempts at humour are not very successful, although I did like the bits with the hero Curdie stomping on the Goblin's feet - the feet are their most vulnerable parts and if you ever want to screw a Goblin you stomp as hard on his feet as possible.

But despite the fact that Macdonald is not as amusing as other writers, the voice in his books is wistful, deep and at times even sagacious. His books for this reason are often pretty slow paced filled with deep thoughts, mystical insights and lots of Romantic sentiment designed to pull at the heart strings and fill you with gushing emotions, just so that if you have forgotten your pocket hanky you have to rush out of the room to grab a kleenex.

That made his stuff totally perfect for a more sentimental age like the Victorian age. But not for a cynical time like ours. But for those who are looking for Romanticism, poetry and depth in your stories in your books, you just HAVE to read Macdonald.

C.S Lewis who knew his books better than I ever will boasted that Macdonald had literally "baptsised his Imagination" when he first read him. And, although technically he was not a great writer, he was the Greatest Mythmaker of all. And in fact no writer before or after him explored the archetypal world of myth in his stories better than he did.

This is probably true - just dont go to Macdonald if you only want fast paced books filled with cheap thrills and lots of entertainment. Because in that way he was not very modern at all.

Review from Manfred 19-1-2017



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This is a totally aweome duo of books.
Alice in Wonderland and the Glass, based on the real life adventures of Lewis Carrol's Child Muse Alice and his own mathematical Genius - have both become great classics in the nonsense and surrealist genres.

What many people dont know is that the nonsense and back the front logic in the book is not only an amazing play on words, but it also hides very serious themes of the author's own existential crisis in faith, belief and being ness. Lewis Carrol was not only a mathematician, he was also a Cleric of sorts who had a very deep insight into the nature of being, the Anglican Chruch, God and the society around him - all of which he blatantly satirizes, such as the monarchy and aristocracy in the figures of the Duchess and the Queen of Hearts, the law courts are satirized in the trial of the Knave of hearts. Even the holy communion of the Anglican church is satirized by the cookie with"eat me" on it and the little bottle with "drink me" on it.

Most of all the laws of Nature are stretched and subverted in a similar way with all the growing and shrinking scenes, the Mad Hatter's bizarre behaviour at the Tea Party - the sacrosanct ritual of English civility. And the Cheshire Cats disappearance until all you can see is his smile.

The Chesire Cat subverts Alice's and the readers reality most of all when he says that it doesn't matter which way she goes, either to the Hatter or the March Hare, she will meet mad people. When she objects to this the Cheshire Cat tells her that he is mad too. Indeed Everyone in Wonderland is mad including Alice herself. If she wasn't mad, she wouldn't be there in the first place.

This is very thought provoking for the reader of the book. In a way it challenges our reality hinting that it is the same with us. If we weren't quite mad, or if we didnt want to be mad like Alice and the Cat, we wouldn't be reading such a mad book in the first place.

But we all have and after reading it a little bit of Alice, the Cat and Wonderland itself now lives in us forever.

Thanks to a mad Mathematics Professor and his young Child Muse Alice Liddel!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a totally aweome duo of books.
Alice in Wonderland and the Glass, based on the real life adventures of Lewis Carrol's Child Muse Alice and his own mathematical Genius - have both become great classics in the nonsense and surrealist genres.

What many people dont know is that the nonsense and back the front logic in the book is not only an amazing play on words, but it also hides very serious themes of the author's own existential crisis in faith, belief and being ness. Lewis Carrol was not only a mathematician, he was also a Cleric of sorts who had a very deep insight into the nature of being, the Anglican Chruch, God and the society around him - all of which he blatantly satirizes, such as the monarchy and aristocracy in the figures of the Duchess and the Queen of Hearts, the law courts are satirized in the trial of the Knave of hearts. Even the holy communion of the Anglican church is satirized by the cookie with"eat me" on it and the little bottle with "drink me" on it.

Most of all the laws of Nature are stretched and subverted in a similar way with all the growing and shrinking scenes, the Mad Hatter's bizarre behaviour at the Tea Party - the sacrosanct ritual of English civility. And the Cheshire Cats disappearance until all you can see is his smile.

The Chesire Cat subverts Alice's and the readers reality most of all when he says that it doesn't matter which way she goes, either to the Hatter or the March Hare, she will meet mad people. When she objects to this the Cheshire Cat tells her that he is mad too. Indeed Everyone in Wonderland is mad including Alice herself. If she wasn't mad, she wouldn't be there in the first place.

This is very thought provoking for the reader of the book. In a way it challenges our reality hinting that it is the same with us. If we weren't quite mad, or if we didnt want to be mad like Alice and the Cat, we wouldn't be reading such a mad book in the first place.

But we all have and after reading it a little bit of Alice, the Cat and Wonderland itself now lives in us forever.

Thanks to a mad Mathematics Professor and his young Child Muse Alice Liddel!



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1. Name: Manfred (author name)

2. Email address: mirandamoondawn@gmail.com

3. Book Title: Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium

4. Book Synopsis:

If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest epic fantasy novel - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.” The story begins in East Finchley London where, after making a Wish with her mother and little brother, the young Witch Mirabelle discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it.

The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer the Magician and Alchemist Night Opium, who wants to make the young Witch his apprentice and share his knowledge of Magic and Goldmaking with her. After that, Mirabelle discovers that she is not only caught up in the most amazing adventure, but she has also become the central player in the most sinsiter and dreadful game: a game which has been played as part of the Initiation of young Witches and Wizards for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe Game.

What began for Mirabelle as a madcap Quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, now ends as a terrifying Rite of Passage, where to complete her Initiation as an apprentice Witch, she has to defeat her deadly rivals in the Dungeons of Lethe Game and take part in three Magical Battles, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.

Fortunately for her, she has powerful allies to help her in the Game, the saucy one foot one Fairy, Apricot Lantern, the madly eccentric Father of Wishes and her devoted admirer, the Romantic Sorceror Night Opium himself. In the thrilling climax to the book, which takes place in the historic centre of Westminster London, the young Witch understands that not only her own fate, but also that of everyone she loves, depends on both her victory in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, along with her finally solving the Riddle of Night Opium.

5. Book Genres: YA Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Fairytale Retellings, Coming of Age Novel.

6. Formats Available: PDF

7. Reader Age Range: 15 and over.


8. Do you agree to all of the rule in the rules for authors thread?: Yes.

Goodreads Author Page link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Author Interview with Manfred on his new book MAGIC MIRABELLE AND THE RIDDLE OF NIGHT OPIUM!

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing when I was a teenager, just after I finished high school. I was inspired by fantasy novels and books with elfish and fairy lore like George Macdonald and Tolkien, as well as Romantic poetry like Blake and Keats, who also wrote heaps about fairies and the otherworld. I was also a bit inspired by writers from the Golden Dawn Hermetic Magic tradition like Dion Fortune and W.B, Yeats. So you will find lots of these three influences in my writing.

Can you share with readers a little about your latest book?

The story is about a young teenage girl (Mirabelle), who lives totally in her world of fantasy adventure books, like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, etc. And, after making a Wish with her little brother, she discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it. The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer, the Magician and Alchemist Night Opium, who wants to make her his apprentice and share his knowledge of Magic and Goldmaking with her. After that, Mirabelle discovers that she is not only caught up in the most amazing adventure, but she has also become the central player in a very exciting and enchanted game, called the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
In this game, it is her job to defeat several powerful rivals in three Magical Battles, each more psychologically demanding and grueling than the last. Fortunately for her, she has powerful allies to help her: her friends Lucy and Freddy, the saucy one foot one Fairy, Apricot Lantern, the madly eccentric Father of Wishes and Night Opium himself. In the nail-biting climax to the book, which takes place in the historic centre of Westminster London, the heroine understands that not only her own fate but also that of everyone she loves, depends on both her victory in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, along with her finally solving the Riddle of Night Opium.

Tell us more about your main character. What makes him or her unique?

Well, Mirabelle is very special because she not only loves books more than anything else in the world, but she has also found a way to bring them to life. Mirabelle’s Grandma is a Witch and she teaches her granddaughter some special Magic tricks. After that, the world of her imagination and her everyday world cross over and Mirabelle has adventures just like the heroines in her favorite stories, where she meets Witches, Wizards, Fairies, Unicorns and so on. This is just what she has always dreamed about and wished for – to be a Princess in her own fantasy adventure story. But she soon discovers that even though she is a Princess there are also battles she has to fight and obstacles she has to overcome. Living in a Fairytale you see also has its dark sides. Just like real life!

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

Mirabelle is the main heroine of the story. The entire book is narrated in the third person through her eyes. I love her as a character of course, but my favorite character is her best friend Lucy. Everyone in the book loves Lucy! She is witty, vivacious, charming, a little bit mad and totally unpredictable and fearless. She is also a kind of Fairy Queen in disguise so that gives her the opportunity to do loads of Magic – and in the end, both she and Mirabelle learn heaps from each other and they discover that they both share a very special bond that makes them inseparable!

Who is the least favorite character in your book and why?

That’s an interesting question. And I think a lot of people will really dislike the wicked Nightshadow Fairy – the villain in the story. She is very beautiful and clever, but at the same time she is also very manipulative, hardhearted and cruel. She is a very complex character and It is hard for me to hate her, because, even though it is her job to destroy Mirabelle in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, she also has a soft spot in her cold heart for the young Princess. And you will see what happens with that when you read the story. I won’t spoil it here!

Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?

There are so many influences which helped shape this story. The most important ones are the fantasy books like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, the Narnia and Harry Potter books. There is also the Romantic tradition of myth and Fairy lore which is present in writers like George Macdonald and poets like William Blake. Finally, there are also the authors on Magic and Hermetic Philosophy. For those who have read J.K. Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and have wondered what lies behind the age-old tradition of the Philosopher’s Stone and Alchemy, you will get a quite a few details about that in my new book! As well as one or two surprises!

Tell us something unique about you?

There is not so much to tell, But I think the most unique thing about me is that not only do I love writing in the Fairytale and epic Fantasy tradition, but I also TOTALLY believe in the characters of my books and I am not satisfied with them until they are fully fleshed out with their own personality and background history. I not only want my characters to be entertaining and tell a good story – entertaining the reader is the main ingredient for writing a successful novel – but I also want them to give me one or two good reasons for why they want me to write about them! I am very stubborn and determined in that way.

Posted by Berneta Haynes 11-1-2017
From Waking Writer
https://wakingwriter.com/2017/01/11/m...

https://wakingwriter.com/2017/01/11...

Want to learn more about Manfred’s work?
Send a friend request on Goodreads and ask about the book.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...

Visit his Facebook page and read more about the plot of the book and the main characters.

https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...

Biography of Manfred -
Hi my name is Manfred. As those of you with a background in Romantic Poetry will have guessed, I am named after the Byronic hero of the poem with the same name. I have always loved Romantic Poetry, Fairytales, Gothic novels, and the dark and murky world of the occult and parnormal. Like most imaginative and creative souls, I found the regimated environment of our schools, the media and our present day institutions of religion, pilitics etc. totally stifling and soul-destroying. So I have spent most of my life seeking various ways out from the mainstream collective culture and its passion for conformity and mediocrity.

As a child I read fairytales, mediaevel adventure tales, fantasy novels and ghost stories. I also loved reading comic books - anything from Casper the Friendly Ghost to Spider Man and Doctor Strange. As far as I can recall the only time that I was ever really happy at school was when I was looking for books to borrow and read from the school library. As a boy I also listened to popular music from groups like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Music and reading were two of my big escapes from the world around me, which I didn’t find a particularly exciting or stimulating one.

During high school this feeling of existential aloneness and emptiness became even more prominent. I managed to complete my 12th year and as soon as I did, I discovered and dived head first into the shadowy world of Romantic Poetry and Mysticism as well as exploring the occult secrets of Witchcraft and Hermetic Alchemy. Along with casting Magic Circles and Pentagrams, playing with Tarot cards and practising astral projection in my bedroom, I did heaps of writing - poetry, novels. plays and short stories. I also grabbed a guitar, bought a piano and composed heaps of songs, The songs, stories and poems were all pretty much on the same theme, getting out of the mediocrity and banality of mainstream life and coming into contact with the hidden powers in Nature, the invisble world of faeires, angels and spirits and communing with the higher Wisdom of the self. Many of these creative and occult experiences are contained in my latest book Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium a Fairytale in the Goldmaking Tradition.

Every writer's work is influenced by the writers he or she most admires. My three major literary influences are the Golden Dawn occultist Dion Fortune (especially Moon Magic and The Mystical Qabalah), the Romantic Poet and Radical William Blake (most notably The Marriage of Heaven and Hell and Songs of Innocence and Experience) and the Scottish Father of Fairytales George Macdonald (the books Phantastes and Lilith totally blew me away when I read them). At the same time, my work is strongly influenced by the classic Fairytales which I read when I was a boy and rediscovered again when I was older - such as Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia books. Books like Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books came later.

Bringing together all the different eclectic influences from Alchemy, Romantic Poetry and the various Fairytale and fantasy traditions, I have written what I think is a truly unique and compelling tale of a young Witch's Rite of Passage into the world of Magic and Witchy stuff. Although it borrows very freely from various Fairytale motifs, it also has elements of the Gothic, the Paranormal Fantasy Genre, Romantic Poetry and Witchcraft, Hermeticism and the occult. As the main heroine is a young teenage girl, then the book falls into the Chick Lit category as well. Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium is a humorous, imaginative and playful book. But it is also not a kid's book. I think that its themes, plot and characters would be suited for a Young Adult and Adult audience.

Mirador Publishing’s latest literary sensation! - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium

If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest epic fantasy novel - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.” The story begins in East Finchley London where, after making a Wish with her mother and little brother, the young Witch Mirabelle discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it.

The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer the Magician and Alchemist Night Opium, who wants to make the young Witch his apprentice and share his knowledge of Sorcery and Goldmaking with her. The Magician also fancies himself as one of England’s immortal Rhymers in the tradition of Lord Byron himself, and the young Witch quickly discovers that along with being his Apprentice she is also the Muse for his creative Genius!

But neither the young Wizard nor his Muse fully comprehend the nature of the great powers that they are playing with and, not long after that, Mirabelle discovers that her Romantic Fairytale has suddenly changed to become the most dreadful and sinsiter game: a game which has been played as part of the Initiation of young Witches and Wizards for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe (D.O.L.) Game. To complete her Initiation as an apprentice Witch and emerge victorious in the D.O.L. Game, Mirabelle has to now overcome several powerful and deadly adversaries, including the Nightshade Fairy herself, as well as take part in three Magical Battles, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.

Fortunately for her, she has powerful friends and allies to help her, the saucy one foot one Fairy, Apricot Lantern, the madly eccentric Father of Wishes and her devoted admirer, the Hermetic Goldmaker and Poet Night Opium himself. In the last of the three Magical Battles, the young Witch Mirabelle pools her enchanted world of Magic and Fairytales together with Night Opium’s dark Gothic world of Sorcery and Romantic verse. And, when one of London’s most prestigious theatres decides to perform Night Opium’s great epic, the Londres Witch, the strange and mysterious power hidden in the words of the poem streams out into the historic centre of Westminster London, where it begins its mysterious task of slowly transforming the lives and destinies of all those who live in this great metropolis.

After that nothing is the same for Mirabelle, her poet or anyone else that she loves ever again!

Filled with many delightful plot twists, nail biting suspense and countless moments of madcap humour and steamy romance, Magic Mirabelle, in addition, has as many breathtaking scenes of Fairytale wonderment and Gothic enchantment as you will find in any fantasy adventure novel anywhere!

Simply the most entertaining and spellbinding book about the world of Magic and Witchcraft since Harry Potter!

Get yourself a copy. We promise that you won't be disappointed.

To be released by Mirador Publications in February 2017

Tracey wrote: "Manfred said: "Hi Tracey I have abook you might be interested in and I will write you about it on your email Just friending you now. Best regards Manfred "

Hi Manfred. I'm a little behind on my e..."

Ok when you have time.
Manfred

Manfred said: "Hi Tracey I have abook you might be interested in and I will write you about it on your email Just friending you now. Best regards Manfred "

Hi Manfred. I'm a little behind on my emails at the moment, but I'll get back to you asap.

Manfred wrote: "Publishing details and Synopsis for our new epic fantasy adventure novel - "Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium"


Title of Novel: MAGIC MIRABELLE AND THE RIDDLE OF NIGHT OPIUM

I will look out for it Manfred
Publishe..."

Thats ok Subnita
Great to be friends with you

Hi! Thanks for the invite.

Publishing details and Synopsis for our new epic fantasy adventure novel - "Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium"


Title of Novel: MAGIC MIRABELLE AND THE RIDDLE OF NIGHT OPIUM


Published By: Mirador Publishing – Greenbrook Terrace, Taunton Somerset, United Kingdom.
www.miradorpublishing.com

ISBN and Date of Release: 978-1-911473-80-0.


Book release date: March 2017


Format: ebook and paperback


Author’s Name and Location: Manfred, Ex-pat Australian and permanent Danish resident, presently resides in Charlottenlund.


Book’s Rating: Teen and Young Adult, 12 and over.

Length of Novel; 308 pages, approximately 123,000 words

Book Buy Links: Amazon (not yet available.) Mirador Publishing www.miradorpublishing.com


Literary Genre and Style: Fairytale, Fantasy-Adventure, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Coming of Age story, Witchcraft and Magic,


https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...

SYNOPSIS

If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest epic fantasy novel - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.” The story begins in East Finchley London where, after making a Wish with her mother and little brother, the young Witch Mirabelle discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it.

The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer the Magician and Alchemist Night Opium, who wants to make the young Witch his apprentice and share his knowledge of Magic and Goldmaking with her. After that, Mirabelle discovers that she is not only caught up in the most amazing adventure, but she has also become the central player in the most sinsiter and dreadful game: a game which has been played as part of the Initiation of young Witches and Wizards for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe Game.

What began for Mirabelle as a madcap Quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, now ends as a terrifying Rite of Passage, where to complete her Initiation as an apprentice Witch, she has to defeat her deadly rivals in the Dungeons of Lethe Game and take part in three Magical Battles, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.

Fortunately for her, she has powerful allies to help her in the Game, the saucy one foot one Fairy, Apricot Lantern, the madly eccentric Father of Wishes and her devoted admirer, the Romantic Sorceror Night Opium himself. In the thrilling climax to the book, which takes place in the historic centre of Westminster London, the young Witch understands that not only her own fate, but also that of everyone she loves, depends on both her victory in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, along with her finally solving the Riddle of Night Opium.

Filled with many delightful plot twists, nail biting suspense and countless moments of madcap humour and spicy romance, our book, in addition, has more breathtaking scenes of wonderment, magic and enchantment than you will find in just about any fantasy adventure novel anywhere!

Available on Amazon in March 2017

For all those who LOVE WITCHES, MAGIC, FAIRIES, the DARK GOTHIC and FAIRYTALES - Mirador Publishing's latest MUST READ epic fantasy adventure novel Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium

If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest epic fantasy novel - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.” The story begins in East Finchley London where, after making a Wish with her mother and little brother, the young Witch Mirabelle discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it.

The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer the Magician and Alchemist Night Opium, who wants to make the young Witch his apprentice and share his knowledge of Magic and Goldmaking with her. After that, Mirabelle discovers that she is not only caught up in the most amazing adventure, but she has also become the central player in the most sinsiter and dreadful game: a game which has been played as part of the Initiation of young Witches and Wizards for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe Game.

What began for Mirabelle as a madcap Quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, now ends as a terrifying Rite of Passage, where to complete her Initiation as an apprentice Witch, she has to defeat her deadly rivals in the Dungeons of Lethe Game and take part in three Magical Battles, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.

Fortunately for her, she has powerful allies to help her in the Game, the saucy one foot one Fairy, Apricot Lantern, the madly eccentric Father of Wishes and her devoted admirer, the Romantic Sorceror Night Opium himself. In the thrilling climax to the book, which takes place in the historic centre of Westminster London, the young Witch understands that not only her own fate, but also that of everyone she loves, depends on both her victory in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, along with her finally solving the Riddle of Night Opium.

Filled with many delightful plot twists, nail biting suspense and countless moments of madcap humour and spicy romance, our book, in addition, has more breathtaking scenes of wonderment, magic and enchantment than you will find in just about any fantasy adventure novel anywhere!

Simply the most entertaining and spellbinding book about the world of Magic and Witchcraft since Harry Potter!

Get yourself a copy. We promise that you won't be disappointed.

To be released by Mirador Publications in February 2017

https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...

For all those who LOVE WITCHES, MAGIC, FAIRIES, THE DARK GOTHIC AND FAIRYTALES - Mirador Publishing's latest MUST READ epic fantasy adventure novel "Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium"

If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium.”

Filled with many delightful plot twists, nail biting suspense and countless moments of madcap humour and STEAMY romance, our book, in addition, has more breathtaking scenes of wonderment, magic and enchantment than you will find in just about any fantasy adventure novel anywhere!

To be released February 2017 https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...

Our Coming new book
Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium

To be released in February 2017