The Medal

Alex, bearing the same name as an ancient Greek hero, is the complete opposite. Small for his age and into books and computer puzzles, he is the perfect victim for the school bullies. His father is a hero and had been awarded a medal. He gives this to Alex who finds when he looks at it, it reminds him of his father’s encouraging words and helps him cope with the daily fear of Logan and his bully-boys.

Through strange adventures in a fantasy world of war Alex learns new skills which stand him in good stead when he returns to his own world. Also his ability at puzzle solving becomes vital to the war effort and through his trials he discovers that he too is a hero in his own way.

A story of courage, and self-discovery against a background of friendship, battles and dark foes.

. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barbara-Evans/e/B088F559P3 This is the link to my author page where you buy the books if you are interested.

 This is part of the Folk Song series but is more suitable for older teens as it is a love story. Freya and Liam were inseparable friends when at primary school. Liam comes from a dysfunctional family Freya has a very stable background and is a talented musician. They quarrel, and Liam's life spirals out of control. He runs away, so the friendship ends. But the story opens with him returning to the secondary school to take his A levels, while Freya is concentrating on her O level examinations. Liam seems to be a reformed character, but rumour and prejudice are rife in the school. Freya has to face the fact that she made a mistake all those years ago and has to let her pride go if she is to resume her friendship with Liam. Will he forgive her? Can there be a return to the warm friendship they enjoyed when they were younger? A magic painting points the way.

 This is the sequel to Protheroe's Yard. Kate and Jack set off to rescue Kate's nephew  who has been stolen by Witch Evilyn  a changeling has been left in his place. They travel to the lands of the four elements and meet the various characters that rule each land, The Water Lord, the Earth lord and the Four Winds.

    They have many adventures until they reach the court of the Green King who will decide the fate of Kate's nephew. 

Protheroe's Yard

      This is the very first story I wrote, way back in about 1974. I set it in the playgrounds of my childhood in Wakes. We were free in those days to wander at will, going out in the morning, returning for dinner at mid- day then off again for the afternoon to return in time for tea.
      We were not chaperoned by adults but most of the time we played together in fairly large groups, boys and girls.
      The lorry yard did have a gypsy caravan at the very back, set against the railway bank and it always fascinated me as a child.
The'Banks' was a large piece of waste ground that rose up in banks to form a railway siding where they shunted the engines.
      I wrote this story for my son who was about six at the time, he might have been older, but he really enjoyed it. Much later,( he's grown up and married now with children of his own) he encouraged me to dig out the manuscript and have a go at publishing it. I spent a year waiting for replies to my emails and gave up deciding to self -publish. it's actually a lot more fun.
      The story is about fairies and their need for green spaces in which to live. The heroine is Kate a girl with a huge imagination and her friend Jack,half elf, half dwarf who set off to summon the king of the seahorses to pull the caravan and all the marooned fairies to a place of safety.They encounter enemies in the form of witch Evilyn and strange friends who assist them in their quest.

The Girl from The Sea

This is my favourite story so far inspired by the folk song Selkie. It follows the development of Connor, a boy with a physical disability living on a remote Scottish island. He encounters a strange girl called Morag, on a lonely beach, who is actually a Selkie.... a creature of legend with prophetic powers.This is the beginning of a life-changing adventure.

     Connor is a talented artist and because of his disability will be unable to follow in his father's footsteps as a fisherman. Which leads to conflict. He finds himself rethinking his life and the way he sees himself when two other people encourage him to concentrate on what he can do --- his painting, which will take his life in a completely different direction.

    He is caught between two worlds, which clash, when sorcery threatens the existence of the island and Morag needs his help, at the same time as an unmissable opportunity is offered to set him on the road to a golden future. What will Connor’s choice be?

   

    I have endeavoured to develop Connor's character throughout the story from seeing himself as a loser to discovering who he really is.... very much a winner!  A story of grit and determination and the transforming power of encouragement and support.

The Cry of the Fox

This is the second story in my Folk Song Series. It was inspired by the song Reynadine about a character with nasty fox-like characteristics. I thought it would make a great story.

Roxy and Rob are twins, recently moved from the town to the countryside. Rob loves football and horse riding and soon makes friends with the lord of the manor's son Sid. Roxy loves nature and the countryside and hates cruel sports. She falls out with Sid and most of the others in her class at school as nearly all are involved in hunting.

Sid falls under a curse where he changes into a fox and soon discovers he can't control it. It's up to Roxy to find the solution and break the curse before the big Boxing Day hunt.

I found out all sorts of interesting facts when looking into the subject of fox hunting in this country and although it is banned, loopholes in the law mean that a fox can still be chased and torn to pieces by hounds if the hounds 'accidentally' come across a fox's trail. It reinforced my belief that it is a cruel sport. Sid finds out the hard way.

I enjoyed writing about this subject and loved all the characters. They really came alive for me. Hope you enjoy it too.

The ISBN number is  1688722467    on Amazon.

The Boy in the Wood

This story is the first in my Folk Song series. It began as an exercise in a creative writing group I belonged to. I was inspired by the folk ballad 'Tamlin', a story about a girl who rescues her true love from the power of an enchantress. A.L.Lloyd described her as the bravest heroine in folk music. I set the story in Wales, and with some adaptation, in my home town by the sea.
The heroine is Ceri who makes friends with a boy she meets in the wood near her home. She is soon caught up in the frightening and tragic legend of Derwen Fawr and finds herself battling against ancient magical forces in order to rescue the boy from the clutches of the Lady of the Wood.
The story is aimed at young teens but has been enjoyed by several of my friends, and was found so scary by one reader, they had to sleep with the light on for a few nights.