As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Corin Thistlewood talks about his writing career and the inspiration behind The Touchwood Chronicles Book 1 – The Sun & The Moon.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed author Corin Thistlewood about his life and career, what inspired him to start writing, and the story of his book, The Touchwood Chronicles Book 1 – The Sun & The Moon.
I was trained as an electrical engineer and had a keen interest in the latest research in physics too. But I have a deeply spiritual side as well and became heavily involved with the new age movement. Later I found that quantum mysticism embraced all these beliefs, so I incorporate this within my books. I still practice as a druid and attend solstice rituals at local megaliths. I enjoy long walks in my local forest and beaches.
It was quite a few years ago now, while I was in Australia. I had been running courses on Celtic shamanism and many people asked me if I had written down some of the rituals and exercises, I was teaching. I hadn’t, so I decide to put that right and produced a little booklet called “Introduction to Celtic Shamanism.” It was only a small run by a local printer, only 100 copies I think, but they sold well at all the mind body and spirit fayres I went to. This encouraged me to engage in producing a monthly correspondence course. One each month for a year. Eventually I had about 80 apprentices all doing the course. Later I produced a second year which was more advanced. Lots of people told me I should write a book on all this, which I always intended to do but never seemed to find the time.
It was during the first lockdown in UK. All my other work seemed to dry up at that time, which gave me space to start writing down my experiences.
Well as I said previously, I had the idea some years ago. But from when I first started writing this book, it took me about a year to write and proofread. The publishers then took about 4 months to first release.
I was inspired by James Redfield’s: ‘Celestine Prophecy’. I felt that it was a good way to illustrate the way to use ancient wisdom in everyday life by writing an adventure story utilizing that wisdom. My heart was drawn to the Native Celtic perspective, the often ‘secretive’ and ‘hidden’ powers and philosophies and magic of my native land. The more I wrote, the more the adventure story became autobiographical. But it was important to me to introduce quantum mysticism into the mix as it appeals to the modern mind explaining magic and mysticism in a scientific way.
The biggest challenge to me was ‘because’ the book had become autobiographical. I didn’t want to include close family and relatives within it. So, I had to find ways to leave them out. The second biggest challenge was fitting it all in one book.
The narrator is a future-self called Touchwood who is an ancient version of myself who feels compelled to confessing about his Wiccan and magical past. As it is mainly autobiographical, the central character is the author.
The main Antagonist’s in my stories are the world’s Elite and multinationals, who are destroying Our planet for the sake of profit and greed. Spoiler alert: But in the second and third books, other Antagonists are introduced.
Early on, the main character meets a mysterious Scottish fisherman who shows him alternative ways to live and view the world.
The book is documenting the struggle that the main character has finding his native spiritual path, in a world that has allowed ‘the church’ to all but destroy any trace of it.
I freely wrote about my experiences ‘flying by the seat of my pants’. The book is a Chronicle of my adventures. Then I did Hugh amounts of research verifying scientific information and place names etc. Also, so I could get the timings right.
Publishing Push LTD have been very helpful in getting my book ready for publishing.
Don’t start at the beginning. Never stare at a blank page looking for inspiration. Carry a notebook with you and write down things that inspire you, eventually you may have the basis for a book.
As I mentioned earlier one of the biggest challenges was fitting it all into one book. Which I realized I couldn’t. So, the second book in the Touchwood Chronicles series is already written, and I’m in deep with the third and final book.
My perspective was that I wrote the book that I would like to read. I haven’t seen anything like it, so in that I am very pleased with the result. And yes, it was very worth the effort.
Retail price: paperback £9.99 Kindle £4.99. Also available in various UK bookshops. Also available in USA, European and Australia amazon
UK amazon link: https://amzn.eu/d/f1ATPkq
web site: https://corin-thistlewood.ueniweb.com
My Blog: https://corin-thistlewood.ueniweb.com/blog#space
Corin Thistlewood: Novelist | Facebook
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Janet Sherlund's memoir, "Abandoned…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Ella Rosa's "FUN" is…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", new science-fantasy novel, "Knights…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Belinda Jane Robinson's "Me…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", learn how to start…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", author Sisay Ketama shares…