Mirror Gates: Peril in the Mirror Worlds
This is my second book. Unlike my first book it is a fantasy story involving travel between different worlds using magic mirrors. The book is available to buy on the Amazon and Troubador web sites. The full cover can be seen below.
The Main Title: Subtitle book title is because I’m writing a sequel to it. Not because I’m confident it will sell so well there will be a demand for more. It’s just there were elements of the story that needed expanding on and I had to write it. I may discuss this later.
Insights: Meanwhile, here are some insights on the background and how the story developed.
My First book is a mystery/adventure story set in the Scottish Highlands, involving making a movie, escaped wild animals, and jewel thieves. It has now been withdrawn from print but I’ve kept copies for my own use and they can be bought on eBay Several copies are also available from branches of Glasgow District libraries so a book request at your local library will give you a chance to read it.
Mirror Gates Book Extracts
The extracts for Mirror Gates (1) have been moved here.
Insights: How Mirror Gates came about
First, it started as Mirror Worlds, and even long before that it was a story called A Ghost in Time about a time travelling boy. It fell apart plot wise and when I came back to it later, I decided Charley (who still survived from the earlier book) became a girl with a secret magical past and George (the time travelling boy) became Charles, her other-world twin. A villainess in the original became Charley’s magical aunt and a goody. Instead of straightforward time travel the parallel worlds are behind or ahead of each other in time (though their histories are not exactly the same). A reader of an earlier version thought there was too much help from adults, so I got rid of one of them and had their aunt only able to accompany them in the body of a cat. Then I separated children and cat from the others and had them trying to survive and get home on their own. Phew! I still had a lot of things to sort out.
Insights: Promoting the book
The publisher offers a deal where marketing staff will push the book to bookseller and other outlets. However, the author has to do some pushing themselves. I’m not the outgoing type so I’ve not tried to get school/library visits or the like. So I’ve concentrated on a web presence. This web site is obvious but not easy to find so I promote through Facebook, Twitter X, Mastodon and the like. I get responses but don’t know if they’ll lead eventually to sales. But it’s about giving the book some visibility.
My Tales for Kids 