Stories are a marvellous medium for the imagination to take flight and explore the inner workings of the human mind. I am a particular fan of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but I enjoy a wide variety of writing from across the ages. As a young child I was almost always to be found with either a book or a drawing pencil in my hand as one often inspired me to pick up the other. I remember going to the local library and coming home with arms full of books, mostly containing fairytales, fantasy and the natural world. I then I would sit for hours reading or attempting to copy the images that captured my imagination.

As someone who is mildly dyslexic I find reading and writing a slow process. It is no surprise then that my favourite T.V programs from early childhood up to the present day have always been either documentary or story based. But as a child the one that had always topped the favourite list was Jackanory. For those unfamiliar with this children’s program, each day a celebrity would sit in a chair and read a story; a long story could take a week to read and I would be on there on the edge of my seat waiting for the program each day.

There is something very primal about listening to a story teller. For me it evokes sitting around a fire in an ancient round house, watching the shadows flicker and dance on the walls illustrating the epic tales of Gods and battles as they are told by the Elders of the tribe.

In this age of technology I am happy to say much of my ‘reading’ is now done with audio books. I can and do listen to audio books and lectures almost everyday often while I am working, driving or doing mundane jobs. Being able to hear the words opens the door to the world of literature even wider for me. This is why I have chosen to write and record my stories; eventually there will be an audio version for each of the short stories.

The first stories you will find within these pages are my initial foray into making my work public. To gain some confidence I set myself a task to write a short story for each phase of the eight fold pagan year. In each tale I give personal expression to the celebrations that I, as a modern druid/pagan (and, I would like to imagine, maybe even the ancient pagans), apply to the turning seasons of our amazing landscape.

It is never easy to bear your soul with artwork. Writing, in particular, has always been something I held as personal and private. Possibly because of the dyslexia, I was fearful of putting any writing out into the open. However there are somethings that just won’t lie quietly and as I get older I think, what is there to loose? So I hope you enjoy my offerings and if you feel moved to comment I am always grateful for constructive feedback.