And she definitely knows as she watched me write it and helped by nudging me to the street when I got stuck! Order it now! linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

It is, but like the wisest people, he takes help from those who offer…

Book 1 in the Hand of Reason series follows Peryst de Arranu as he protects his child from a regime that persecutes those born different. He flees across Ankisua with a baby, joining all who resist the Hand of Reason, learning what it means to be a father along the way. linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Touched by Light follows Peryst de Arranu as he strives to protect his child from the cruel regime that persecutes those born different. He flees across Ankisua with Maia, joining all who resist the Hand of Reason and learning what it means to be a father along the way. linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Great start to the day. I went out a fire escape and locked myself in an inaccessible area. Why? I blame no coffee. And there were stairs. I vaguely remembered stairs after twists and turns last night. Hotel staff not impressed by my setting off all the alarms. Hope it picks up from here.

Touched by Light will be available to buy IN PERSON at Spotlight Indie! But if you can’t make it, you can order at linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

So excited to be in Shrewsbury tomorrow! Touched by Light will be available to buy in person at the table run by the talented Kate MacDonald and Peachfield Press! Can’t wait!

Utterly surprised and delighted that my collection WHO WILL YOU SAVE? from @titanbooks.bsky.social is on the shortlist for the British Fantasy Awards!

Book 1 in the Hand of Reason series follows Peryst de Arranu as he saves his child from a cruel regime that persecutes those born different. As he crosses Ankisua with a baby, he joins all who resist the Hand of Reason, learning to be a father along the way. Order now! linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Cover for Book 2 of the Hand of Reason series is in the works! If you haven’t read Book 1, Touched by Light, order it now! linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

I AM in a library and I DID get distracted when I looked at the shelf beside me. Who can resist GRUESOME DEATHS?

Another productive day at Milford. Novella’s taking shape. I learnt that a group of goats can be a trip or a tribe. And that they bleat and can be tamed with treats. Kind of like me. But all useful info of which I will use a mere fraction.

Impossible not to buckle down in a place like this and surrounded by such talented people. Finished first draft of A Flaming Rage, a novella that shows that the Hand of Reason was born of fury. Check out Book 1 of the series - Touched by Light linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Check out a fantasy series that’s a little different… the only dragon is a toy one! linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

An enemy that you can’t quite see. Yet. But that you sense coming closer. And closer. Order Touched by Light and get to know Peryst de Arranu’s fight against a regime that’s slowly closing in, bringing hatred and death. linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Magic in Touched by Light isn’t flamboyant. There are no flashes and no drama, but it’ll still get you killed by the Hand of Reason. linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Truth is important. Without it, rumours can lead you astray, particularly if you’re trying to lead a rebellion, like Thallya. Find out more by reading Touched by Light. linktr.ee/TouchedbyLight

Peryst de Arranu chose to be a father to save his niece from sure death. He struggles, but strives to do the best by his daughter. Every time. linktr.ee/TouchedbyLig...

Ok I’ve narrowed what I’m taking to essentials. Ursula LeGuin features strongly. Stapler. Playing cards. Underneath the paperbacks are the dnd manuals. Piece of the Berlin Wall that dad brought for me years ago. Wooden rhino. All things I can’t live without.

Phase 1 done. Some boxes gone. Echo still unimpressed. Diet not much better: cold pizza and choc chip cookies. Oh and the last instant porridge. Coffee maker packed so just one coffee. Hard rock blaring.

My diet of today: leftover Easter bunny, a creme egg, an avocado (slightly brown), a stale bagel (toasted), and half a wrinkled apple. Now I’ll start on a glass of wine while I keep packing boxes. Echo is not impressed.

Resistance starts small, with one foot in front of the other till it’s like a tidal wave. In Touched by Light, like in real life, it starts with ordinary people. Order it now wherever you buy books!

The Hand of Reason spreads its hatred carefully, quietly, lie by lie, rumour by rumour, till everyone wonders what happened, how we got here. It’s always the way in regimes of hatred. But there are always some who stand for truth. Touched by Light, available now in ebook and paperback.

We see glimpses. Things don’t feel quite right. Some make noise, some are afraid, but the great majority don’t even care. Till it’s too late. Touched by Light is book 1 of the series that sees the Hand of Reason starting to expand its hold over Ankisua in insidious ways. There’s more to come….

Some fights span generations. And some will keep fighting till the light comes. If resistance in the face of creeping totalitarianism is something you believe in, maybe this book is for you.

For fans of epic fantasy, nuanced heroism, and hope in the face of stark odds. Give it a go!

I get that so often. But why not? The packaging may be fantastic (in every way) but the emotions, the hope, the politics, the drama, is all too real.

It’s happening! VALENZIAGA will fall. Category is: Science-Fantasy EXTRAVAGANZA! Think Drag Race + a gay Game of Thrones + Chronicles of Amber. High drama and high CAMP! Quick! Spread the word! RT, tell your friends! KICKSTARTER ENDING SOON!! #booksky www.kickstarter.com/projects/tri...

Almost there! It’s taken a while. There’ve been plenty of trials and tribulations, but the e-book is available for preorder on Amazon. And print’s coming soon.

Hailing. Just saying, it’s hailing again. And I’ve sneezed 25 times. Spring in London is insane. And people wonder why we talk about the weather so much…

Books, like everything else, are a matter of taste, but if you like what you see, maybe this one’s for you.

What makes a hero? That they step up when they have to even if at other times their decisions aren’t the best.

My credit card co needed to reconfirm my id. Sent in my passport. Same one I applied with 10 yrs ago. With my full name from BIRTH. Chilean born so father’s and mother’s surnames. They asked for my marriage certificate. I offered birth cert as I’ve NEVER changed my name. But no. Only marriage. 2026.

Check this out! From the super talented Trip Galey. I loved A Market of Dreams and Destiny. Can’t wait for this one.

In case you don’t know, croissants in France are buttery and salty. In Spain and Italy, they’re sweet. It’s a different kind of pleasure.

For those in London, was yesterday a joke from the weather gods? That warmth on the back of the neck, that shining orb… a teaser of what lies beyond this grey island? Rain runs down my window again today. Sigh. Maybe it was just a dream.

2. Touched by Light doesn’t have a specific romance scene. But the love and romance is in the enduring love of a man for his dead partner, the heartbreak of a woman for the loss of her soulmate, and the joy of another woman in hers while separated by duty.

Hi I’m Berna and I’m about to publish the first book in my five-book fantasy series on the power of resistance and small heroisms against totalitarianism. Touched by Light, coming soon!

And they say that fantasy has nothing to do with reality. Think again.

Once I had a different Great Dane: Luna. One day Oscar came up. He was five. He asked, ‘How many chihuahuas would fit in Luna? I think 48. Four per leg. Five in her head. One stretched in her tail and the rest squashed into her body.’ He’s about 18 now. I hope he’s still asking daft questions.

Reading aloud and editing. What are you doing this grey morning?

#FantasyIndiesJanuary 20 Your Hobbies Other than writing, editing, and proofing? Reading, walking the grand Echo, playing DnD on a Monday night, and painting murals for people I love.

Proofing, proofing, and proofing some more. To the background of folk and (very loud) dog snores.

I’m Berna and I’m editing Circle of Mists, first book in a duology set in the same world as my series Hand of Reason, of which book 1 will be out in December! #FantasyIndiesSpooktober