Willow's
Way
by
Cheryl Headford
Genre:
YA Fantasy, LGBTQ
Cale always told Tay that fairy tales were dark. But they always have happy endings, right?
Taylor
Preston is a normal sixteen-year-old whose biggest worries are his
GCSE exams. He’s right in the middle of them, but he has a summer
of fun with his parents to look forward to after. Or not.
Despite
their promise to spend the summer focusing on their one and only son,
Tay’s parents, Local Authority specialist foster carers, take on
one more special case.
Willow’s
arrival throws more than Tay’s summer into chaos. Suddenly, his
best friend is possessed by a demon, his parents aren’t his parents
after all, and he’s literally living a nightmare in a fairy tale
world that as dark as anything Cale ever warned him about. All he has
is Willow and a burning desire to save his friend before he succumbs
to the demon and Willow kills him.
Cheryl
was born into a poor mining family in the South Wales Valleys. Until
she was 16, the toilet was at the bottom of the garden and the bath
hung on the wall. Her refrigerator was a stone slab in the pantry and
there was a black lead fireplace in the kitchen. They look lovely in
a museum but aren’t so much fun to clean.
Cheryl
has always been a storyteller. As a child, she’d make up stories
for her nieces, nephews and cousin and they’d explore the imaginary
worlds she created, in play.
Later
in life, Cheryl became the storyteller for a re enactment group who
travelled widely, giving a taste of life in the Iron Age. As well as
having an opportunity to run around hitting people with a sword, she
had an opportunity to tell stories of all kinds, sometimes of her own
making, to all kinds of people. The criticism was sometimes harsh,
especially from the children, but the reward enormous.
It
was here she began to appreciate the power of stories and the primal
need to hear them. In ancient times, the wandering bard was the only
source of news, and the storyteller the heart of the village, keeping
the lore and the magic alive. Although much of the magic has been
lost, the stories still provide a link to the part of us that still
wants to believe that it’s still there, somewhere.
In
present times, Cheryl lives in a terraced house in the valleys with
her son, dog, bearded dragon and three cats. Her daughter has
deserted her for the big city, but they’re still close. She’s
never been happier since she was made redundant and is able to devote
herself entirely to her twin loves of writing and art, with a healthy
smattering of magic and mayhem
$15
Amazon gift card,
Choice of book from author
– 1 winner each
