Manfred's Blog
April 15, 2017
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...
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...
March 4, 2017
Review of No Love Allowed
No Love Allowed by Kate EvangelistaMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I chose to read this book because it is totally unlike what I would normally read or even write. First of all I was struck by the simplicity of the plot, the characters and the style of prose. There was little or no literary embellishments or conceits of any kind - no fairies, angels, paranormal happenings or events of any kind - just a straight forward psychological novel about a young rich kid called Caleb, his wealthy asshole of a dad and an interesting meeting with a young girl from the other side of the tracks called Didi.
The plot actually reminded me a bit of Deepa Mehta's Indian diaspora film Bollywood/Hollywood where the wealthy Indian hero of the story, after the death of his fiance, has to find a fake girlfriend to please his mother and, after some upheavals in their relationship, he eventually falls in love with her. In this book the fake girlfriend is an ex-waitress called Didi who accepts a deal from Caleb to attend a summer of parties in exchange for him acting as her artistic model. Unlike the heroine in Bollywood/Hollywood, she won't take money for the job, but instead asks Caleb to act as an artists model for her paintings.
There are a few interesting and humorous bits in the book - such as when after splitting up with his girlfriend, the father demands that Caleb attends all the firm's summer events in exchange for a gap year in Europe before he goes to Yale. Caleb hates his father but this doesn't stop him from making his Faustian deal with him and prostituting himself in exchange for a year in Europe. Didi is not much nobler in her motives - she accepts Caleb's offer because she finds the experience of a summer of parties with the rich and famous and a hot guy beside her very appealing. She is an artist however and her only price for her services is Caleb posing for her.
Inevitably they fall in love - perhaps too easily and predictibly. There are only one or two small hiccups such as when Caleb's jealous ex girlfriend threatens to expose her and of course when she meets Caleb's father and there is heaps of friction between them.
As I say, I liked the plot and theme of the book which reminded me of one of my favourite Indian diaspora movies. The crossing of class barriers was also a nice touch. But I did miss some of the Hollywood drama, or melodrama, where you are biting your nails and grinding your teeth to see if the couple will really come together in the end. As I say they met and fell in love and ran off into the sunset together a bit too easily and unbelievably.
Still it was interesting for me to read a book that was so uncompromisingly normal and without any otherworldly, parnormal or mythological elements.
I might try it again some time.
View all my reviews
January 25, 2017
Bookreads Giveaway of Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium
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!
January 15, 2017
Details and Blurb for 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: 978-1-911473-80-0.
Book release date: March 2017
Format: ebook and paperback
Length of Novel; 300 pages, approximately 124,000 words
Author’s Name and Location: Manfred
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
Book’s Rating and Readership: Adult, or Young Adult, 16 and over. Some medium level violence and mild eroticism. Stand-alone-book - not part of a series
Book Buy Links: Amazon (not yet available.)
Literary Genre(s): A mixture of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Coming of Age Novel, Chick Lit and Fairytale-Retellings.
Narrator: Third person female Narrator. The story is told through the eyes of the heroine Mirabelle Sommerfield.
Strongest Aspect of the Book: The book doubles as a Young Adult Coming of Age novel as well as a magical journey into another world where the heroine Mirabelle has the opportunity to grow and mature through both her experiences in real life as well as her adventures in her imaginative otherworld. It should be noted that in the first part of the novel (chapters 1-10), Mirabelle is a young girl of 12-13 years old and as such the plot deals with themes relevant for a young teenager of this age. The rest of the book (chapters11- 22), deals with Mirabelle's growth into a young woman (16-25) and as such the novel explores new characters and themes that would be much more suitable for a Young Adult reading audience than for children!
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...
SYNOPSIS/BLURB
If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest MUST READ YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance - “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 teenage 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 Night Opium, who has taken a fancy to the young Witch and wants to share his knowledge of Goldmaking with her. But when the Wizard tries to make gold with the help of his captive Fairy, Apricot Lantern, everything goes wrong for them. And, not long after that, Mirabelle discovers that both her and her Magician have been tricked by the conniving Fairy and that their Romantic dreamworld has been completely shattered.
Believing that her beloved Magician is lost to her forever, Mirabelle is totally broken-hearted. Eventually she tries to return to normal life and finds a new friend at her local high school . Her name is Lucy and she has the same interests in Magic and Witchy stuff as Mirabelle. But not long after she meets Lucy, Mirabelle finds herself as part of a very mysterious and enchanted game: one which has been played by young Witches and Sorcerers for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe (D.O.L.) Game.
At first , this Game is very amusing and leads Mirabelle, and the other players, into even more exciting adventures, but finally she begins to understand the goal of the Game and the sinister nature of some of the powers that they are all playing with. Eventually she discovers that to emerge victorious in the D.O.L. Game she has to overcome several deadly adversaries - including the wicked Sorceress Lady Nightshadow herself - and take part in three Magical Battles or Tasks, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.
Fortunately for her, Mirabelle has powerful allies to help her, her friend Lucy, Mama and her little brother, the wise and kindly Father of Wishes and, eventually, her devoted admirer Night Opium himself. At first, neither he nor Mirabelle are happy to work together with each other, but eventually, during the third and last Magical Task, the young Witch realizes that for her to save herself and her world from a frightful Dystopian future, she will have to pool all her dreams and Magic together with the Sorcerer's knowledge of the Hermetic Arts. This is a bit of a risk for her, because if she does this she knows that all the old romantic feelings they once had for each other will be rekindled again and she is now a young woman of 17 and has grown too old and sceptical to believe in the Happy Endings she used to read about in her Fairytales!
But, despite her reluctance, Fate steps in and Mirabelle's Rite of Passage from girlhood to womanhood is completed, when one of London’s most prestigious theatre companies suddenly decides to perform one of Night Opium's weird and wonderful poems, called the Londres Witch. When the poem is staged, with Mirabelle in one of the leading roles and her best friend Lucy in the other, all of the power from their pooled Magic streams out into the historic centre of Westminster London.
In the nail-biting climax to the book, all the familiar spots 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 and Paranormal Romance "Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium!"
To be released by Mirador Publishing in March 2017.
Published By: Mirador Publishing – Greenbrook Terrace, Taunton Somerset, United Kingdom.
www.miradorpublishing.com
ISBN: 978-1-911473-80-0.
Book release date: March 2017
Format: ebook and paperback
Length of Novel; 300 pages, approximately 124,000 words
Author’s Name and Location: Manfred
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
Book’s Rating and Readership: Adult, or Young Adult, 16 and over. Some medium level violence and mild eroticism. Stand-alone-book - not part of a series
Book Buy Links: Amazon (not yet available.)
Literary Genre(s): A mixture of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Coming of Age Novel, Chick Lit and Fairytale-Retellings.
Narrator: Third person female Narrator. The story is told through the eyes of the heroine Mirabelle Sommerfield.
Strongest Aspect of the Book: The book doubles as a Young Adult Coming of Age novel as well as a magical journey into another world where the heroine Mirabelle has the opportunity to grow and mature through both her experiences in real life as well as her adventures in her imaginative otherworld. It should be noted that in the first part of the novel (chapters 1-10), Mirabelle is a young girl of 12-13 years old and as such the plot deals with themes relevant for a young teenager of this age. The rest of the book (chapters11- 22), deals with Mirabelle's growth into a young woman (16-25) and as such the novel explores new characters and themes that would be much more suitable for a Young Adult reading audience than for children!
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...
SYNOPSIS/BLURB
If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest MUST READ YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance - “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 teenage 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 Night Opium, who has taken a fancy to the young Witch and wants to share his knowledge of Goldmaking with her. But when the Wizard tries to make gold with the help of his captive Fairy, Apricot Lantern, everything goes wrong for them. And, not long after that, Mirabelle discovers that both her and her Magician have been tricked by the conniving Fairy and that their Romantic dreamworld has been completely shattered.
Believing that her beloved Magician is lost to her forever, Mirabelle is totally broken-hearted. Eventually she tries to return to normal life and finds a new friend at her local high school . Her name is Lucy and she has the same interests in Magic and Witchy stuff as Mirabelle. But not long after she meets Lucy, Mirabelle finds herself as part of a very mysterious and enchanted game: one which has been played by young Witches and Sorcerers for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe (D.O.L.) Game.
At first , this Game is very amusing and leads Mirabelle, and the other players, into even more exciting adventures, but finally she begins to understand the goal of the Game and the sinister nature of some of the powers that they are all playing with. Eventually she discovers that to emerge victorious in the D.O.L. Game she has to overcome several deadly adversaries - including the wicked Sorceress Lady Nightshadow herself - and take part in three Magical Battles or Tasks, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.
Fortunately for her, Mirabelle has powerful allies to help her, her friend Lucy, Mama and her little brother, the wise and kindly Father of Wishes and, eventually, her devoted admirer Night Opium himself. At first, neither he nor Mirabelle are happy to work together with each other, but eventually, during the third and last Magical Task, the young Witch realizes that for her to save herself and her world from a frightful Dystopian future, she will have to pool all her dreams and Magic together with the Sorcerer's knowledge of the Hermetic Arts. This is a bit of a risk for her, because if she does this she knows that all the old romantic feelings they once had for each other will be rekindled again and she is now a young woman of 17 and has grown too old and sceptical to believe in the Happy Endings she used to read about in her Fairytales!
But, despite her reluctance, Fate steps in and Mirabelle's Rite of Passage from girlhood to womanhood is completed, when one of London’s most prestigious theatre companies suddenly decides to perform one of Night Opium's weird and wonderful poems, called the Londres Witch. When the poem is staged, with Mirabelle in one of the leading roles and her best friend Lucy in the other, all of the power from their pooled Magic streams out into the historic centre of Westminster London.
In the nail-biting climax to the book, all the familiar spots 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 and Paranormal Romance "Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium!"
To be released by Mirador Publishing in March 2017.
January 14, 2017
List of the Main Characters in our book “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium” (short version).
MIRABELLE - The central character in our book is the apprentice Witch from East Finchley London, Mirabelle Sommerfield. After discovering a very mysterious Riddle in her mother's attic, Mirabelle embarks upon many wonderful adventures with the Magican Night Opium, his Fairy Apricot Lantern, Lady Nightshade and the Father of Wishes. Along with her mother, little brother and her friends Lucy and Freddy, each of these enchanted beings plays a central role in her Rite of Passage and eventual Initation into Magic and the Wisdom of the Craft.
BABY -.Mirabelle's baby brother is a very special character, and just as his mother is giving birth to him at the local hospital, Mirabelle is busy bringing him to the Sommerfield home from the Neverland as the seventh member of Peter Pan’s band of Lost Boys. (In the original story there are only six Lost Boys!) Not long after his arrival, Mirabelle wishes for his angels and hers to play together. And it is from that time that Mirabelle’s adventures first begin. Baby also secretly accompanies Mirabelle up the Glass Slipper Staircase to the Land of Wishes, where he becomes the Father of Wishes’ apprentice in Gold-making and entomology. Later on he becomes Freddy’s partner in the Peacocks team during the first Magical Battle in the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
MAMA - (Vivienne Sommerfield). Mama's role in the book is mostly advisory. For example, it is her who prompts Mirabelle to wish for her angels to play with Baby’s angels. Mama also tries to help Mirabelle solve the Riddle, and after her 13th birthday, she contacts Grandma Selena to see if she can help solve Mirabelle’s Night Opium and Fairy problem. After Mirabelle’s best friend Lucy adopts Vivienne as her mother during the Halloween Party, she and Lucy team up as partners for the Amorinas team during the D.O.L. Game.
PAPA - (Lindsey Sommerfield). Mirabelle’s father has a very important job in the Foreign Office in Whitehall. Despite the fact that he is mentioned on several occassions in the book, his importance is minimal and he never actually appears in the narrative!
GRANDMA - (Selena Hatfield) - Mirabelle’s Grandmother is from the Hatfield side of the family. She is a free-spirited Witch from Glastonbury who first introduces Mirabelle into the mysteries of the Craft. Grandma also introduces the Dungeons of Lethe Game to Mirabelle, and places her and the others into their respective teams of Tulips, Amorinas and Peacocks. These three teams are allied against the Mandrake team which is headed by Grandma Selena herself. Grandma is a complex personality. She has a less than congenial relationship with Mirabelle’s mother. And, although she does spark Mirabelle’s initial interest in the Craft, during the D.O.L. Game their relationship dramatically alters!
LUCY - Her full name is Annabelle Lucinda Flavius and when she arrives as a new student at the local high school with her brother Freddy, she immediately befriends Mirabelle and together the two girls become the school’s authority on Halloween and other magical matters. During the Halloween party, she adopts Mirabelle’s mother and Baby. As part of the Amorinas team, she plays a very important role in the second of the Magical Battles. And, with her irresisitible charm and charisma, she becomes one of the central players in the Soho Theatre experience, where her relationship with her dear friend Mirabelle takes an unexpected and dramatic turn.
FREDDY - His full name is Frederic Mark Leopold Flavius. Along with being a Hermetic Magician, Freddy is also a poet and the founder of the Blue Flower Fellowship of Poets (or the B.F.F.) During the Halloween Party he adds a bit of spice to the meeting by reading his dramatic Thunder Man poem. He joins up with Baby in the Peacocks Team during the First Magical Battle. And it is through his poem the Londres Witch that both Lucy and Mirabelle begin their dramatic careers in the London Theatre circuit.
.
MELISANDE TREACHEROUS - Melisande is Freddy’s classmate and during the Halloween Party she and Mirabelle become bitter rivals for his affections. Melisande later replaces Baby as Mirabelle's partner on the Tulips team and, with some enthusiasm, she follows her into Lady Nightshadow’s grusome Parlour. There she lives up to her Treacherous nature by helping orchestrate several grisly scenarios for Mirabelle with the aid of her ghastly Mistress. Indeed, even though it appears that Melisande has been permanently removed from the D.O.L. Game, during the third and last Magical Battle she makes a surprising and very sinister appearance.
GUY HARRINGTON - Artistic Director of the Soho Theatre Company. During the second Blue Flower Fellowship of poets meeting, Freddy recites his Londres Witch poem and Guy recognises his creative Genius along with the dramatic skills of Lucy and Mirabelle. How their mutual venture into experimental theatre ends up is very bizarre and amusing.
THE MAGICAL BEINGS IN THE STORY
APRICOT LANTERN - The first of three Fairy Queens. She first appears with the Wizard Night Opium and both he and his fairy capture Mirabelle's heart and play a central part in Mirabelle's early magical adventures.
NIGHT OPIUM - Elf Sorceror and apprentice of the Father of Wishes. After placing the Riddle in the dragon chest for Mirabelle to find, he visits her with the desire to make her his apprentice. And to impress the young witch, he enlists his Fairy to perform a magic trick for her. He doesn't realize that the Fairy is a Young Queen and has a thousand times more Magic at her disposal than he does.
THE FATHER OF WISHES - The Head of the Fraternity of Hermetic Goldmakers and the Unofficial King of Fairyland. He works in close cooperation with the Mother of Fairytales and teaches Mirabelle some lessons in Hermetic Wisdom. He also apprentices Baby with the intention of making him a great Wizard and entomologist like himself.
LADY NIGHTSHADOW - Or the Nightshade Fairy. She is the second of the Fairy Queens Mirabelle is destined to meet. And with her irresistible beauty she lures Mirabelle into her ghastly Nightshade Parlour. Eventually, after several gruelling ordeals with her and her Djinn, Mirabelle finds her way out of her clutches and prepares herself for the three Magical Battles which must take place before the conclusion of the D.O.L. Game.
THE FAIRY OF PROVIDENCE - She is also known as the Matron and the Mother of Fairytales. She is the third and last Fairy Queen which Mirabelle is destined to meet, before completing her Initiation into the Wisdom of the Craft. Without her Wisdom and Magic it will not be possible for her and her allies to defeat the forces of darkness in the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
SUMUKHI -The Chief of the Star Babies. In the start of the book, Sumukhi and the Star Babies help bring BABY from the Star Nursery and they introduce Mirabelle to the Dungeons of Lethe Game in her dreams.
SHIMBA -The fluffy white Bichon Havanesse who is Baby’s pet in the Land of Wishes and travels back home to London with him to celebrate Mirabelle’s 16th birthday.
THE BLACK FAIRY - Maleficando. She is the General of Lady Nightshadow’s troops during the first of the Magical Battles in the D.O.L. Game.
THE WISHING CATS - A particularly malicious type of creature that appears to challenge Mirabelle and Lucy during the second Magical Battle.
LADY NIGHTSHADOW’S DJINN - In the Goldmaking Parlour of the Nightshade Fairy are several Goldmaking engines. Inside these engines reside several wicked and very powerful Djinn. These assist their Mistress in making her Tincture of Morphic Snuff,
BABY -.Mirabelle's baby brother is a very special character, and just as his mother is giving birth to him at the local hospital, Mirabelle is busy bringing him to the Sommerfield home from the Neverland as the seventh member of Peter Pan’s band of Lost Boys. (In the original story there are only six Lost Boys!) Not long after his arrival, Mirabelle wishes for his angels and hers to play together. And it is from that time that Mirabelle’s adventures first begin. Baby also secretly accompanies Mirabelle up the Glass Slipper Staircase to the Land of Wishes, where he becomes the Father of Wishes’ apprentice in Gold-making and entomology. Later on he becomes Freddy’s partner in the Peacocks team during the first Magical Battle in the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
MAMA - (Vivienne Sommerfield). Mama's role in the book is mostly advisory. For example, it is her who prompts Mirabelle to wish for her angels to play with Baby’s angels. Mama also tries to help Mirabelle solve the Riddle, and after her 13th birthday, she contacts Grandma Selena to see if she can help solve Mirabelle’s Night Opium and Fairy problem. After Mirabelle’s best friend Lucy adopts Vivienne as her mother during the Halloween Party, she and Lucy team up as partners for the Amorinas team during the D.O.L. Game.
PAPA - (Lindsey Sommerfield). Mirabelle’s father has a very important job in the Foreign Office in Whitehall. Despite the fact that he is mentioned on several occassions in the book, his importance is minimal and he never actually appears in the narrative!
GRANDMA - (Selena Hatfield) - Mirabelle’s Grandmother is from the Hatfield side of the family. She is a free-spirited Witch from Glastonbury who first introduces Mirabelle into the mysteries of the Craft. Grandma also introduces the Dungeons of Lethe Game to Mirabelle, and places her and the others into their respective teams of Tulips, Amorinas and Peacocks. These three teams are allied against the Mandrake team which is headed by Grandma Selena herself. Grandma is a complex personality. She has a less than congenial relationship with Mirabelle’s mother. And, although she does spark Mirabelle’s initial interest in the Craft, during the D.O.L. Game their relationship dramatically alters!
LUCY - Her full name is Annabelle Lucinda Flavius and when she arrives as a new student at the local high school with her brother Freddy, she immediately befriends Mirabelle and together the two girls become the school’s authority on Halloween and other magical matters. During the Halloween party, she adopts Mirabelle’s mother and Baby. As part of the Amorinas team, she plays a very important role in the second of the Magical Battles. And, with her irresisitible charm and charisma, she becomes one of the central players in the Soho Theatre experience, where her relationship with her dear friend Mirabelle takes an unexpected and dramatic turn.
FREDDY - His full name is Frederic Mark Leopold Flavius. Along with being a Hermetic Magician, Freddy is also a poet and the founder of the Blue Flower Fellowship of Poets (or the B.F.F.) During the Halloween Party he adds a bit of spice to the meeting by reading his dramatic Thunder Man poem. He joins up with Baby in the Peacocks Team during the First Magical Battle. And it is through his poem the Londres Witch that both Lucy and Mirabelle begin their dramatic careers in the London Theatre circuit.
.
MELISANDE TREACHEROUS - Melisande is Freddy’s classmate and during the Halloween Party she and Mirabelle become bitter rivals for his affections. Melisande later replaces Baby as Mirabelle's partner on the Tulips team and, with some enthusiasm, she follows her into Lady Nightshadow’s grusome Parlour. There she lives up to her Treacherous nature by helping orchestrate several grisly scenarios for Mirabelle with the aid of her ghastly Mistress. Indeed, even though it appears that Melisande has been permanently removed from the D.O.L. Game, during the third and last Magical Battle she makes a surprising and very sinister appearance.
GUY HARRINGTON - Artistic Director of the Soho Theatre Company. During the second Blue Flower Fellowship of poets meeting, Freddy recites his Londres Witch poem and Guy recognises his creative Genius along with the dramatic skills of Lucy and Mirabelle. How their mutual venture into experimental theatre ends up is very bizarre and amusing.
THE MAGICAL BEINGS IN THE STORY
APRICOT LANTERN - The first of three Fairy Queens. She first appears with the Wizard Night Opium and both he and his fairy capture Mirabelle's heart and play a central part in Mirabelle's early magical adventures.
NIGHT OPIUM - Elf Sorceror and apprentice of the Father of Wishes. After placing the Riddle in the dragon chest for Mirabelle to find, he visits her with the desire to make her his apprentice. And to impress the young witch, he enlists his Fairy to perform a magic trick for her. He doesn't realize that the Fairy is a Young Queen and has a thousand times more Magic at her disposal than he does.
THE FATHER OF WISHES - The Head of the Fraternity of Hermetic Goldmakers and the Unofficial King of Fairyland. He works in close cooperation with the Mother of Fairytales and teaches Mirabelle some lessons in Hermetic Wisdom. He also apprentices Baby with the intention of making him a great Wizard and entomologist like himself.
LADY NIGHTSHADOW - Or the Nightshade Fairy. She is the second of the Fairy Queens Mirabelle is destined to meet. And with her irresistible beauty she lures Mirabelle into her ghastly Nightshade Parlour. Eventually, after several gruelling ordeals with her and her Djinn, Mirabelle finds her way out of her clutches and prepares herself for the three Magical Battles which must take place before the conclusion of the D.O.L. Game.
THE FAIRY OF PROVIDENCE - She is also known as the Matron and the Mother of Fairytales. She is the third and last Fairy Queen which Mirabelle is destined to meet, before completing her Initiation into the Wisdom of the Craft. Without her Wisdom and Magic it will not be possible for her and her allies to defeat the forces of darkness in the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
SUMUKHI -The Chief of the Star Babies. In the start of the book, Sumukhi and the Star Babies help bring BABY from the Star Nursery and they introduce Mirabelle to the Dungeons of Lethe Game in her dreams.
SHIMBA -The fluffy white Bichon Havanesse who is Baby’s pet in the Land of Wishes and travels back home to London with him to celebrate Mirabelle’s 16th birthday.
THE BLACK FAIRY - Maleficando. She is the General of Lady Nightshadow’s troops during the first of the Magical Battles in the D.O.L. Game.
THE WISHING CATS - A particularly malicious type of creature that appears to challenge Mirabelle and Lucy during the second Magical Battle.
LADY NIGHTSHADOW’S DJINN - In the Goldmaking Parlour of the Nightshade Fairy are several Goldmaking engines. Inside these engines reside several wicked and very powerful Djinn. These assist their Mistress in making her Tincture of Morphic Snuff,
Chapter Breakdown for Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium (short version)
Prologue - Mirabelle is a 12 1/2 year old girl from East Finchley London, who lives in a fantasy world of fairytales and adventure stories like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Her Grandma is also a Witch and she tells Mirabelle that she has the "gift," and promises to one day make her an apprentice Witch. Her life undergoes a dramatic change, however, with the birth of her baby brother.
Chapters One and Two - The birth of the new Baby turns the household upside down and at first Mirabelle is annoyed by this, but she grows very fond of him, after she begins telling him fairy-stories. After that, she makes a wish for his angels and hers to play together. The wish appears to come true because very soon afterwards, she finds an old wooden box in the attic with dragon carvings on it. Inside the dragon box is a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle. Mirabelle shows the riddle to her mother but neither her nor Mirabelle can solve it..
Chapter Three - While thinking of the Riddle, Mirabelle falls to sleep and wakes up to discover that a one foot one fairy in a golden cage has materialised in her bedroom. Her name is Apricot Lantern and she is the property of a Wizard called Night Opium, who now tells Mirabelle that he will make her his apprentice, along with showing her a wonderful trick of making gold with his pet fairy. As the Magician cranks up her cage he belts the cage over and over with his wand. This makes the Fairy totally terrified and she crumples up whimpering on the floor of the cage. But when she recovers her strength, she becomes very sassy and angry, promising both Mirabelle and her new friend that she will get her revenge on them for their gross violation of the unalienable rights of fairies!
Chapters Four to Six - The Magician’s trick now totally backfires as the cunning fairy enchants them both with a powerful dose of her fairy glamour. Under her spell, Mirabelle splits in half like an apple. One half of her accompanies the Magician to his enchanted garden in the Land of Wishes. And the other half remains with the fairy in her bedroom. The fairy begs, threatens, promises and cajoles Mirabelle into freeing her from her cage. The moment she leaves the cage she transforms into a full-blown Fairy Queen, taking over the Wizard's enchanted garden, along with all of the Gold and Wishes meant for Mirabelle. Finally, Mirabelle’s little brother dampens the Fairy’s enthusiasm by bringing the dragons on his sister’s magic box to life. When the dragons jump all over the fairy’s frock, she leaps out of it in terror, and all the flowers from her dress fall into Mirabelle's magic box. When Mirabelle wakes up the next morning the flowers are still there with a note from the fairy apologising and congratulating Mirabelle on her 13th birthday.
Chapter Seven to Nine - Pressed by her mother, Mirabelle eventually tells her everything that went on with the Fairy and Night Opium. Mama immediately sends an SOS to Grandma. In the meantime, Mirabelle meets two new friends at school, Freddy and Lucy. With Lucy’s help she becomes the school’s authority on Witchcraft and Magic. And, inspired by her new found popularity, Mirabelle throws a Halloween party. Along with Halloween decorations, costumes and music, special games are arranged like “Faery and Vampyre.” and a Halloween Poetry Meeting. When Freddy reads his poem about the Initation of a young girl into the mysteries of Witchcraft, called “Thunder Man comes soon,” the weather suddenly becomes very violent, with rain and lightning and thunder crashing all around the house. Most of the guests want him to stop reading, but Mirabelle and Mama insist that he finsihes the poem.
Chapter Ten - After nearly all of the guests have left, Grandma Selena arrives from Glastonbury with two friends, and the three Witches conjure up the Dungeons of Lethe Game for those still present to play. After explaining the rules to everyone, Grandma places everyone in their respective teams - Freddy and his friend Melisande are in the Peacocks team, Lucy and Mama are put in the Amorinas team and Baby and Mirabelle are placed in the Tulips team. Grandma Selena and her two friends play as the Lethe Master in the Mandrakes team. The three teams, Tulips, Peacocks and Amorinas represent the Powers of White Magic in the Universe, and the Mandrakes represent the powers of Darkness. Mirabelle begins the game very favourably for her team by picking the Father of Wishes card. She now takes the journey up the Glass Slipper Staircase to meet the Grand Master of the Fraternity of Hermetic Goldmakers in the Land of Wishes.
Chapters Eleven and Twelve - While she is going up the stairs, the Father of Wishes teaches Mirabelle all about the art of Hermetic Alchemy - including its history from classical times and its entrance to Europe through the Abbashid Calliphate in Baghdad. She is also told that as part of her Initation as a Witch, she is destined to meet three Fariy Queens - the first of these she has already met Apricot Lantern. The next two she will meet later on in her adventures. By the time she has finished talking with him on the stairs, almost three years have passed! She now celebrates her 16th birthday in the Land of Wishes and as part of her birthday celebrations, the Mother of Fairytales reads out a story called "Princess Starlight and the Unicorn." After the story has been read, Mirabelle returns home to East Finchley to celebrate her 16th birthday with her family and friends Lucy and Freddy. The night ends with everyone playing the Dungeons of Lethe Game again. This time however, Grandma pulls the Lady Nightshadow card and things turn out very badly for Mirabelle as with Freddy’s friend Melisande’s help, she ends up as a prisoner in the Nightshade Parlour.
Chapters Thirteen to Sixteen - In these chapters Mirabelle goes through a very terrifying ordeal with Melisande and Lady Nightshadow in the Nightshade Parlour. Despite her gruelling and harrowing experiences there, she learns a lot about the Hermetic Sciences as well as the darker side of Magic. She also learns that this dark side exists in herself and that it can also be used to the advantage of her allies in the Game. At last, when she finally emerges from the Nightshade Parlour in one piece, she meets Freddy and Baby in the Hollowed out Centre of the Great Wishing Oak, and she knows she is now ready to begin the first of the three Magical Battles against the Forces of Darkness in the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
Chapters Seventeen to Twenty Two - Supported by her staunch allies - Freddy, Lucy, Mama and Baby - Mirabelle now fights all three Magical Battles of the Dungeons of Lethe Game in turn. Each of the three Games is more psychologically demanding and challenging than the next. But as she pits her wits and her courage against the dark forces of her rivals, she receives help from the third and last Fairy Queen, the Fairy of Providence. Through her Wisdom Mirabelle finally understands how important these Magical Battles are for her Initiation and development as a Young Witch. She also realizes that if she and her allies are triumphant in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, she will not only save herself but also all those she loves from the dark powers which oppose them. If she fails, then everyone and everything she loves will perish and the forces of darkness led by the Nightshade Fairy will triumph in a way that noone can possibly imagine!
Read the book Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium to find out all the details of the nail-biting conclusion and climax to our story, and whether or not Mirabelle and her allies have what it takes to stand together and emerge victorious in this titanicstruggle!
Chapters One and Two - The birth of the new Baby turns the household upside down and at first Mirabelle is annoyed by this, but she grows very fond of him, after she begins telling him fairy-stories. After that, she makes a wish for his angels and hers to play together. The wish appears to come true because very soon afterwards, she finds an old wooden box in the attic with dragon carvings on it. Inside the dragon box is a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle. Mirabelle shows the riddle to her mother but neither her nor Mirabelle can solve it..
Chapter Three - While thinking of the Riddle, Mirabelle falls to sleep and wakes up to discover that a one foot one fairy in a golden cage has materialised in her bedroom. Her name is Apricot Lantern and she is the property of a Wizard called Night Opium, who now tells Mirabelle that he will make her his apprentice, along with showing her a wonderful trick of making gold with his pet fairy. As the Magician cranks up her cage he belts the cage over and over with his wand. This makes the Fairy totally terrified and she crumples up whimpering on the floor of the cage. But when she recovers her strength, she becomes very sassy and angry, promising both Mirabelle and her new friend that she will get her revenge on them for their gross violation of the unalienable rights of fairies!
Chapters Four to Six - The Magician’s trick now totally backfires as the cunning fairy enchants them both with a powerful dose of her fairy glamour. Under her spell, Mirabelle splits in half like an apple. One half of her accompanies the Magician to his enchanted garden in the Land of Wishes. And the other half remains with the fairy in her bedroom. The fairy begs, threatens, promises and cajoles Mirabelle into freeing her from her cage. The moment she leaves the cage she transforms into a full-blown Fairy Queen, taking over the Wizard's enchanted garden, along with all of the Gold and Wishes meant for Mirabelle. Finally, Mirabelle’s little brother dampens the Fairy’s enthusiasm by bringing the dragons on his sister’s magic box to life. When the dragons jump all over the fairy’s frock, she leaps out of it in terror, and all the flowers from her dress fall into Mirabelle's magic box. When Mirabelle wakes up the next morning the flowers are still there with a note from the fairy apologising and congratulating Mirabelle on her 13th birthday.
Chapter Seven to Nine - Pressed by her mother, Mirabelle eventually tells her everything that went on with the Fairy and Night Opium. Mama immediately sends an SOS to Grandma. In the meantime, Mirabelle meets two new friends at school, Freddy and Lucy. With Lucy’s help she becomes the school’s authority on Witchcraft and Magic. And, inspired by her new found popularity, Mirabelle throws a Halloween party. Along with Halloween decorations, costumes and music, special games are arranged like “Faery and Vampyre.” and a Halloween Poetry Meeting. When Freddy reads his poem about the Initation of a young girl into the mysteries of Witchcraft, called “Thunder Man comes soon,” the weather suddenly becomes very violent, with rain and lightning and thunder crashing all around the house. Most of the guests want him to stop reading, but Mirabelle and Mama insist that he finsihes the poem.
Chapter Ten - After nearly all of the guests have left, Grandma Selena arrives from Glastonbury with two friends, and the three Witches conjure up the Dungeons of Lethe Game for those still present to play. After explaining the rules to everyone, Grandma places everyone in their respective teams - Freddy and his friend Melisande are in the Peacocks team, Lucy and Mama are put in the Amorinas team and Baby and Mirabelle are placed in the Tulips team. Grandma Selena and her two friends play as the Lethe Master in the Mandrakes team. The three teams, Tulips, Peacocks and Amorinas represent the Powers of White Magic in the Universe, and the Mandrakes represent the powers of Darkness. Mirabelle begins the game very favourably for her team by picking the Father of Wishes card. She now takes the journey up the Glass Slipper Staircase to meet the Grand Master of the Fraternity of Hermetic Goldmakers in the Land of Wishes.
Chapters Eleven and Twelve - While she is going up the stairs, the Father of Wishes teaches Mirabelle all about the art of Hermetic Alchemy - including its history from classical times and its entrance to Europe through the Abbashid Calliphate in Baghdad. She is also told that as part of her Initation as a Witch, she is destined to meet three Fariy Queens - the first of these she has already met Apricot Lantern. The next two she will meet later on in her adventures. By the time she has finished talking with him on the stairs, almost three years have passed! She now celebrates her 16th birthday in the Land of Wishes and as part of her birthday celebrations, the Mother of Fairytales reads out a story called "Princess Starlight and the Unicorn." After the story has been read, Mirabelle returns home to East Finchley to celebrate her 16th birthday with her family and friends Lucy and Freddy. The night ends with everyone playing the Dungeons of Lethe Game again. This time however, Grandma pulls the Lady Nightshadow card and things turn out very badly for Mirabelle as with Freddy’s friend Melisande’s help, she ends up as a prisoner in the Nightshade Parlour.
Chapters Thirteen to Sixteen - In these chapters Mirabelle goes through a very terrifying ordeal with Melisande and Lady Nightshadow in the Nightshade Parlour. Despite her gruelling and harrowing experiences there, she learns a lot about the Hermetic Sciences as well as the darker side of Magic. She also learns that this dark side exists in herself and that it can also be used to the advantage of her allies in the Game. At last, when she finally emerges from the Nightshade Parlour in one piece, she meets Freddy and Baby in the Hollowed out Centre of the Great Wishing Oak, and she knows she is now ready to begin the first of the three Magical Battles against the Forces of Darkness in the Dungeons of Lethe Game.
Chapters Seventeen to Twenty Two - Supported by her staunch allies - Freddy, Lucy, Mama and Baby - Mirabelle now fights all three Magical Battles of the Dungeons of Lethe Game in turn. Each of the three Games is more psychologically demanding and challenging than the next. But as she pits her wits and her courage against the dark forces of her rivals, she receives help from the third and last Fairy Queen, the Fairy of Providence. Through her Wisdom Mirabelle finally understands how important these Magical Battles are for her Initiation and development as a Young Witch. She also realizes that if she and her allies are triumphant in the Dungeons of Lethe Game, she will not only save herself but also all those she loves from the dark powers which oppose them. If she fails, then everyone and everything she loves will perish and the forces of darkness led by the Nightshade Fairy will triumph in a way that noone can possibly imagine!
Read the book Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium to find out all the details of the nail-biting conclusion and climax to our story, and whether or not Mirabelle and her allies have what it takes to stand together and emerge victorious in this titanicstruggle!
Details for our YA epic fantasy novel - Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium
Details for our coming 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: 978-1-911473-80-0.
Book release date: March 2017
Format: ebook and paperback
Length of Novel; 300 pages, approximately 124,000 words
Author’s Name and Location: Manfred, Ex-pat Australian and permanent Danish resident.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Book’s Rating and Readership: Teen and Young Adult, 12 and over. Stand-alone-book - not part of a series
Book Buy Link Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mirabell...
Literary Genre(s) and Style: Fairytale Re-tellings, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult Coming of Age Novel, Romance, elements of Gothic and Magic Realism.
Narrator: Third person female Narrator. The story is told through the eyes of the heroine Mirabelle Sommerfield.
Strongest Aspect of the Book: The book doubles as a Young Adult Coming of Age novel as well as a magical journey into a Fairytale world where the heroine Mirabelle has the opportunity to grow and mature through both her experiences in real life as well as her adventures in the otherworld!
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...
SYNOPSIS/BLURB
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!
To be released by Mirador Publishing in March 2017.
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: 978-1-911473-80-0.
Book release date: March 2017
Format: ebook and paperback
Length of Novel; 300 pages, approximately 124,000 words
Author’s Name and Location: Manfred, Ex-pat Australian and permanent Danish resident.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Book’s Rating and Readership: Teen and Young Adult, 12 and over. Stand-alone-book - not part of a series
Book Buy Link Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mirabell...
Literary Genre(s) and Style: Fairytale Re-tellings, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult Coming of Age Novel, Romance, elements of Gothic and Magic Realism.
Narrator: Third person female Narrator. The story is told through the eyes of the heroine Mirabelle Sommerfield.
Strongest Aspect of the Book: The book doubles as a Young Adult Coming of Age novel as well as a magical journey into a Fairytale world where the heroine Mirabelle has the opportunity to grow and mature through both her experiences in real life as well as her adventures in the otherworld!
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/magicmirabel...
SYNOPSIS/BLURB
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!
To be released by Mirador Publishing in March 2017.
