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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

who can they trust? - The Chronicles of Midway Series by Kevin Fleming

"this book is super fast paced, action and emotion packed and the plot is so so good that it keeps one hooked from first page to last page and leaves you with so much sadness once the story gets over!! This book is so much awesome considering that it involves the past, present and future [...] The power packed action, the vibrant story and scenery description makes the story feel so real and just wonderful!!"- Vibha, Goodreads

The Chronicles of Midway tell the story of how two seemingly ordinary fourteen year old twins discover they aren't so ordinary afterall.

GUEST POST
How The Chronicles of Midway came into being 

The Chronicles of Midway began life over twenty years ago as a short story I wrote for my children. It existed in its original form for over a decade but was always floating in and out of my thoughts prompting the question: What happened next? As someone who had no patience writing novels, apart from not being able to find the time through running a business, I couldn’t give an answer. 

What moved me to action, I don’t know, but one day I sat down at my PC and typed ‘Chapter 2’. I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next, but as I typed, the characters started to come alive. Once that happened, they became real people with their own thoughts and ideas, all I did was put a few guidelines in as to what type of world I wanted them living in. 

I didn’t even know if a second chapter would complete the story, it didn’t, neither did a third or fourth. It took me over twenty chapters to finish the tale, but when I looked at how it ended, I realised the first, original short story that had started the whole thing off, although absolutely crucial to the whole thing, gave too much away. I had to completely re-write the first chapter. 

My own personal preference when reading a book or watching a movie is that there needs to be an ending, a satisfactory ending. I don’t mean it always has to be ‘happy ever after’, a resolution of any sort will suffice, as long as I’m not left dangling with a load of unanswered questions. With The Storyteller’s Book, although I’d given an ending, there was so much more that had to be dealt with, too many characters with incomplete stories of their own. When I continued through The Mines of Kothkish and The Warlords of Shreen, more characters arrived with their own stories to tell. By now, I had a vague idea where I was going, but even so, it was the characters that were driving the story. I had to take enough control to ensure every question would have an answer, and there would be nothing left that was unresolved. 

Although the original short story was replaced at the very beginning of book one, I saved it for the very end of book four. In terms of the chronology, the action did take place before The Storyteller’s Book, but it was only revealed near the end of Carnival of the Otherworld. It was the best way it was going to work and saved the biggest revelation to the end. 

So that, briefly, is how The Chronicles of Midway came into existence. It was an absolute pleasure to write, I enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen next, so it was almost as a reader that I discovered the characters and got to know them. Now that it’s over, it feels sad that they will no longer be occupying my every thought as they struggled with the tasks before them. They have left this universe for good and will never come back ... but, as I have no control over them, they are living beings with minds of their own, so I suppose maybe one day they may choose to return to see how we’re getting on. 

One particular character a felt such sympathy for was Dora who was introduced in The Warlords of Shreen 

Despite knowing Carnival of the Otherworld would be the final book, I still didn’t know what the outcome would be for Nicholas and Melandra. Would one of them become Custodian of the Council, if so, which one? 

The final revelation for me was the fate of Dora, a character introduced in The warlords of Shreen. I had no idea who she was going to be or how I’d provide a satisfactory resolution for her. I felt sorry for her, I’d caused her so much turmoil and pain in her life, I wanted her to have a happy ending. Then I realised there was a vacancy for a scribe four thousand years ago, I was genuinely pleased for her that she found a place where she could fit in and be accepted. 

I think it was necessary not knowing who the boy was until then.

The Storyteller's Book

“ … you must realise and accept, neither me, your mum, nor either of you are human.”

Nick and Mel are 14 year old twins living normal lives with their parents. When they discover an ancient book in their attic and read from it, strange events begin to happen around them. Something has been awakened which prompts their parents to take them away to a town called Midway where they reveal to the twins that they are not human. They had been hidden on Earth, brought up as though they were human, awaiting the right moment for the truth to be told. 

When their parents mysteriously disappear on their first night away, they are forced to discover for themselves what their roles are in the new lives they’ve been thrown into. They struggle alone as they try to understand and balance their past human lives with their alien destiny. When the book they discovered at their home is stolen, it falls on the twins to recover it. The book has a lot more power than they realised, and if they fail, it will not be they who suffer, but the whole human race. 

Along the way, they meet an array of characters, some will become friends, some will become enemies, who can they trust? For now, they can trust only each other.

The Mines of Kothkish

When Sebastian, the brother of their friend Celeste is abducted by the rogue faction known as The Malum-Atra, twins Nicholas and Melandra Wigg are first in the queue to help the Shreen Angels in their quest to find and rescue the unfortunate victim.

As the situation escalates and the full extent of the danger to Midway and the whole human race is revealed, Nick and Mel face a race against time to locate where Sebastian is held. 

Do the Mines of Kothkish with their glowing caverns of billions of precious stones hold the answer to the mystery of Sebastian’s location? What role does Elaine, the human girl with the unusual gifts have to do with finding the abducted Shreen Angel? And what is the secret that has been hidden in Little Meesden for two hundred years?

Find out as we meet friends and foe, old and new, as once again Nick and Mel fight for the survival of the human universe. 

From facing evil snow creatures to diving into lakes of fire, share in the exciting adventures of Nick and Mel in the second of the Chronicles of Midway series, The Mines of Kothkish.

The Warlords of Shreen

Nicholas and Melandra Wigg have already met Hadad, the only warlord still at large, but now they are faced with a plot to release the other three warlords trapped within collectors. 

When Nick and Mel enter the dream room, a story of great tragedy, loss and regret is revealed as they discover Malvern, once a colleague of Rufus, is behind the terror that is the Malum-Atra. Insane with fear and hatred of the human race, he is searching for a way to open the collectors, thus unleashing the warlords upon the world. 

What does the secret of Meesden House and the tragic history of the old railway house have to do with preventing Malvern’s evil plans? 

Join Nick and Mel in this story of redemption and second chances as they continue their quest to fulfil their destiny in The Warlords of Shreen, the third book of The Chronicles of Midway series.

Carnival of the Otherworld

Join Nicholas and Melandra Wigg in one more exciting adventure as they come up against Natasha Moon, Malvern’s evil accomplice, who together lead the Malum-Atra’s desperate final attempt to destroy the human universe.

How would the humans react if Midway was revealed to them?

How would Midway’s lethal automated defence system respond to an Earth attack?

Nick and Mel are faced with these frightening questions and even more horrifying answers as they do battle with sea spiders, Shreen demons and the ancient Defender of Midway.

What were the startling events of several years earlier that unknowingly affected the lives of many humans in Little Meesden? What was the tragedy that befell Celeste’s mother? Will Nick and Mel finally come face to face with their destiny?

Find out, as these and many more secrets are revealed in Carnival of the Otherworld, the final book of the series, The Chronicles of Midway.

About the author:
Kevin Fleming was born and still lives in Liverpool. He worked for a large telecoms company for over twenty years before leaving to run his own business for a further fifteen years. 

Having written short or incomplete stories on and off all his life, he believes now is the time to put his full commitment into writing more seriously. Since 2012, he has devoted his time to writing and has completed a four part sci/fi, fantasy series aimed at ages from 11 years old and upwards, called ‘The Chronicles of Midway’. 

He is mainly interested in writing supernatural, science fiction and fantasy novels that would appeal to young and old alike. Currently he is working on another series that would combine all these genres.

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1 comment:

Kate Sarsfield said...

Imagine being told that you're not actually human!