What's Coming Up

Sat & Sun 10th and 11th July - Quest, Newton Abbot, Devon Although Kit has made a book-signing appearance at this lovely event for the past two years, this will be her first year of running workshops. These will take place on both the Saturday and Sunday, and she is really looking forward to it. She'll also be at Mercury Rising's bookstall to sign copies of Stonewylde. Details here.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 16th - Charmouth Literary Festival, West Dorset
Kit is extremely honoured to be the opening speaker at the second ever lit fest in Charmouth. This festival is free to attend, and aimed particularly at people wishing to write or trying to get published. It’s also fun for anyone interested in the world of books and writers, and there will be a variety of authors and workshops to suit all tastes. There are many lovely local places to visit, and plenty of splendid accommodation (including nearby Monkton Wyld) so why not make a weekend of it? More details here.

Sat & Sun 30th and 31st October - Poole Literary Festival, Dorset. Kit is delighted to be invited as one of the speakers at this brilliant new literary festival, taking place over the Samhain weekend in Poole. She's in excellent company as other speakers include Michael Morpurgo, Gervase Phinn, Carol Ann Duffy and Minette Walters! Do check out the website here, and please come along to what promises to be a very exciting literary event.

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What's Been Going On

(for a more detailed write-up and photos see Kit's blog)

June 2010

Red Letter day for Stonewylde - Kit sells worldwide rights to series. Kit is delighted to share the news that she has sold the worldwide publishing rights for Stonewylde to the Orion Publishing Group in an excellent deal! Orion will be re-publishing the existing three titles early in 2011 under their imprint Gollancz, and then in August 2011 the long-awaited fourth book Shadows at Stonewylde will be published in hardback. This is already available to pre-order on Amazon. The Gollancz team are wild about the series and Kit is currently working with her new editor, Gillian Redfearn, on the manuscripts for the fourth and fifth books, and the new covers for the whole series. Kit is extremely grateful to her wonderful agent, Piers Russell-Cobb of MediaFund Ltd. Now at last Stonewylde will be widely available and Kit can concentrate on her writing. Many thanks to all the original and very loyal Stonewylders for their constant support and encouragement.

Spirit & Destiny Magazine - July issue out in June. Kit is part of a special feature in this popular magazine, about women who've been inspired by a mystical or magical experience to completely turn their lives around and actually set up in business. Dustin Hoffman's wife is featured too, and in Kit's double page spread she tells of her strange experiences in the woods with a hare, and later in a labyrinth, which led to her transformation from school teacher to successful author.

May 2010

Sat May 22nd - Avebury Gathering of Stonewylde fans. The Stonewylde community site grows daily with new members joining all the time. Such are the true friendships (and even some romances!) that have blossomed over the Internet that members like to meet up with each other, often forming local groups. One member, Natureman, had arranged a get-together in Avebury for a few readers, and this rapidly grew in popularity until the meet-up had swelled to Gathering proportions. Fans travelled from all corners of the UK to meet in Avebury, some camping at local sites, some in hotels and B&B's. The Village Hall at Avebury was booked for the day and as it was blazing hot, proved a welcome cool refuge for sunburned fans! People walked around the stones, visited the Long Barrow at West Kennet and generally chilled out in drumming circles and the shade of the trees. It was a really wonderful event (we estimate close on 90 fans turned up) and culminated in the evening with a delicious meal at The Barge Inn at Seend. Many thanks to Natureman for organising the event, and there are already plans afoot for the next one!

Sat May 15th - charity event at Charborough Park, Wimborne, Dorset Kit and Mr B spent a wonderful afternoon in the grounds of this famous stately home - which was the original inspiration for the concept of Stonewylde. Kit used to drive past the long boundary walls of the estate and imagine a secret and enclosed community behind! Life Education Wessex (whom Kit had contact with during her teaching days) invited her to take part in their charity event, and she thoroughly enjoyed her time in the estate, meeting many old fans who'd come along and new people too. The bluebell woods were truly spectacular, and Richard Drax, the owner and now the new MP for South Dorset, was charming and welcoming, if a little surprised to learn of Kit's strange ideas about his estate!

Sun May 2nd - May Fair at Monkton Wyld, Dorset.
The May Fair at Kit's favourite Dorset mansion was lovely. Kit and Mr B (he dressed in his now famous Green Man costume) had a wonderful time, selling books and cards and meeting all those who'd come to enjoy a traditional May event. The highlight was the Morris Dancers who performed many traditional dances, and Kit really enjoyed joining in, having never done Morris dancing before. Monkton Wyld is a beautiful and very welcoming place, and Kit returned later in the month for a week of peace and meditation, prior to starting work on Book 5 in the Stonewylde series. For a retreat or to take part in one of the very interesting courses they run, see details here.

Sat May 1st - a hidden place deep in the heart of Dorset with Dolmen Grove. Kit and Mr B were honoured to attend the Dolmen Grove's spectacular Beltane celebrations. The local (but internationally recognised) band The Dolmen played a lively set in a marquee, and Kit and Mr B are big fans of their wonderful music. This was followed later by the time-honoured custom of burning a huge wicker man - and it was nothing like either of the films! There's something very exciting about taking part in an ancient ceremony, and despite the very wet rain, it was an amazing experience. Many thanks to Midnight Man for the invitation!

April 2010

March 2010

Sat March 20th - East Midlands Pagan Federation Annual Conference. Kit had a brilliant time in Lincoln as a guest speaker at the East Midland conference. Darren, a very keen Stonewylde fan, had invited her ages ago and sat listening attentively all during her talk. Kit was made really welcome by the committe and enjoyed seeing Damh again, and also Colin and Karen Cater of Hedingham Fair. Several Stonewylde promo-pixies turned up wearing their T-shirts, and Kit sold lots of books and greetings cards.

Sat March 6th - Cornwall & Devon Pagan Federation Conference, Bude, Cornwall.
Kit was honoured to be invited as one of the speakers to this well-attended annual event, held at Penstowe Manor Hotel. The Pagan Federation takes over the place for the weekend, and on Friday night Kit and Mr B enjoyed listening to Damh the Bard play in the bar. Saturday was very busy with stalls set up everywhere, and the four speakers talked to a packed hall of fellow pagans. Kit enjoyed meeting lots of new people and sold many sets of Stonewylde, although about a third of the people there had already read the trilogy! The Dolmen, a brilliant folk band from Dorset, entertained everyone in the evening and a fantastic time was had by all. Many thanks to Levannah for a fab weekend

November 2009

November 27th and 28th, Kernowkopia, Newquay, Cornwall. Cornish Stonewylders and many more from Devon and as far afield as Wales gathered at this brilliant event to meet up with Kit and Mr B. The Sands Hotel in Porth, just by Newquay, was a fantastic venue for the festival, billed as Cornwall's biggest new age festival. Kit gave a talk on both days, met loads of new readers and even got measured up for a dress to wear next year to the Elf Fantasy Fair! Read full details of the event on Kit's blog.

November 26th, BBC Radio Devon with Judi Spiers. Kit enjoyed visiting the BBC studio again in Exeter and having a chat with Judi Spiers. Judi is a big Stonewylde fan, more than a little moongazy herself, and may be spotted in the gym wearing her Stonewylde T-shirt. Judi was disappointed however that there's no date yet set for publication of the fourth book.

November 6th - Big Green Bookshop,
Wood Green, London
Simon Key and Tim West made Kit very welcome for an evening of post-Samhain magic in their wonderful independent bookshop. The whole shop was lit by candles as Kit talked of her magical experiences that led to the writing of Stonewylde, and read excerpts from the books to the audience. The Big Green Bookshop is one of the UK's more famous independents, born by the closure of a Waterstone's branch which led Simon and Tim to bravely make a stand and start their own shop. A great evening and many thanks to all who came out on a rainy dark night to meet Kit.

October 2009

October 29th - Dorset Volunteer Awards Ceremony Kit was honoured to be invited to present the prizes at the annual award ceremony for volunteers in Dorset. This took place in Dorchester, and after making a short speech to the audience, Kit presented copies of Magus of Stonewylde to nine young people who'd shown outstanding achievement in their volunteering. It was a lovely evening, with local band Howling at the Moon playing a rumbustious set, and Kit enjoyed chatting with the sponsor Gerald Duke and the Mayor of Dorchester.

October 17th - BSSK event, Gorton Monastery, Manchester. This was a wonderful event in the most beautiful and spiritual setting - a very different ambience to the utilitarian discomfort of Olympia. Crystals twinkled, incense wafted, peaceful music filled the wonderful old deconsecrated monastery, and Kit stood in the chancel with her banner by the altar! A great tribe of Stonewylders turned out for the day, all sporting their T-shirts. The photo shows the four different Stonewylde T-shirts all being worn together for the first time ever! Kit's talk was fully booked very early in the day and many people who'd hoped to hear her speak about "Reconnecting with Nature" were disappointed. So many people bought books - it was a really successful day, and Kit and Mr B were delighted to be there. Thanks to all the gang who came along!

October 3rd and 4th October - Mind Body Soul Festival, Olympia, London. Kit spent a very busy weekend in London at this event, teaming up once again with the Magik Thread Bookstall. This was the first time the new Stonewylde banner was in use, and it proved very successful. Lots of faithful Stonewylders turned up on both days of the weekend, and Kit did her talk on the Sunday. As always, more details of these events can be read on Kit's blog. It was a fantastic but absolutely exhausting weekend, and Kit and Mr B thoroughly enjoyed it.

September 2009

September 26th and 27th - Harrogate Health and Healing Festival, North Yorks. This was a lovely venue, spacious and full of interesting stalls. Kit was one of four authors on a long table, and she and Mr B sold many books this weekend. However Kit was innundated with Stonewylde readers asking when the fourth book would be published - and they were only slightly mollified by the chance to show their allegiance to Stonewylde and buy a new Green Labyrinth T-shirt! Thanks as ever to the Stonewylders who came especially, and to Ruth and Neil for organising another great event. The "Book Babes" above are Anna-Louise Haigh, Kit, Marsha Scarbrough and Karen French.

September 19th and 20th - Elf Fantasy Fair, Arcen in the Netherlands. A truly magical event in a castle surrounded by lakes, where Kit held court in a beautiful Stonewylde room. Thousands of visitors flocked to this spectacular fair, most dressed in exotic fantasy clothes, and many of them visited Kit and Mr B in their private room. There was a great deal of interest in Stonewylde, and Kit gave talks in the throne room on both days. Many thanks to the lovely Stonewylde fans Sorcha, Ebany and Fonza who helped cope with the huge amount of customers, and also to Stephan, Thomas, Renate, PJ and Roland for their superb organisation and for giving Kit the real VIP treatment. This really was a brilliant event and has firmly established Stonewylde in the Netherlands. Kit was also delighted to meet Linda Ravenscroft and Josephine Wall, both well-known fantasy artists.

September 4th - 6th - Harvest Moon Gathering, Monkton Wyld, Dorset. Kit and Mr B hosted a special gathering for fifty members of the Stonewylde Community in a haunted Victorian Gothic mansion in Dorset. The whole weekend was amazing, with a magical ceremony, workshops, wylde partying, a Stonewylde quiz and an exclusive reading from the fourth book, Shadows at Stonewylde. Everyone had a brilliant, emotionally charged and very special time. Read about it in Kit's blog - a weekend of full moon magic and fun.

July 2009

July 24th to 26th - Port Eliot Festival, St Germans, Cornwall- This was Kit's first appearance at a Literary Festival and what a one to start with! Port Eliot is a beautiful stately home set in the most gorgeous grounds near Plymouth just inside the Cornish border. Kit was invited by Lady St Germans herself, and Stonewylde had a strong presence with its own gazebo and displays. Kit and Mr B spent a very busy weekend meeting people and exhibiting a beautiful collection of corn dollies made by a wonderful lady and staunch Stonewylde fan from the Guild of Strawcraftsmen. Kit was dressed as the Corn Mother of Lammas, and Mr B also looked distinctly bucolic. On the Friday night they attended a special drinks party hosted by the Earl of St Germans, and Kit and Mr B had a good chat with him. On Saturday Kit was honoured to give a talk in the famous Round Room. This spectacular room is well known for being completely decorated with a mural painted by the late and notorious artist Robert Lenkiewicz. Kit met so many really lovely people over the weekend, and on the Sunday was interviewed by her friend of the Museum of British Folklore fame, Simon Costin, for the Port Eliot radio show and podcast. Kit was mentioned by the well-known book blogger Dovegrey Reader and has now appeared in her Lammas Queen outfit on this famous lady's blogsite. The weekend was absolutely amazing and Kit hopes very much to return to Port Eliot next year. Read more details on Kit's blog, and more about the Port Eliot Festival here.

July 19th - Race for Life Run. Many thanks to all the lovely people who sponsored Kit on the Race for Life Run. Kit ran in memory of her best friend Debbie who died of breast cancer in March. Many of Debbie's friends and colleagues sponsored Kit in lieu of flowers at the funeral, and a lot of lovely Stonewylde friends also chipped in generously. Kit was delighted to raise £1,105 for Cancer Research UK - thank you so much everyone for your support. It was an emotional but proud event for Kit who'd never run 5km before, and had been training hard for it.

July 12th - Leeds Health and Healing Festival. The owl is Leeds' symbol, present in the city's coat of arms and etched in the glass doors all over the ornate town hall where this lovely MBS event took place. Kit spent a wonderful day here with the Magik Thread Bookstall, meeting up with the many loyal Stonewylders who'd travelled to be with her again. Seven forum members had come along! And there were plenty more who'd been stonewylded already and had come to hear Kit's talk. Conditions were a little more favourable this time and Kit really enjoyed telling the audience about her special experiences, how Stonewylde was born, and also discussing the pagan Wheel of the Year. It's a beautiful old town hall with a serene ambience, just right for such an event - must be those gorgeous owls all over the place! A huge thank you to all the Stonewylders who came along specially - Kit really enjoyed seeing you all and appreciates the effort you made.

July 4th - Quest, Newton Abbot, Devon. Kit and Mr B spent a fantastic day at this very special Health and Healing festival. The weather this year was lovely and there was a great atmosphere, with many stalls and booths both inside and out. Bob Broadway hosted Kit's booksigning at his bookstall for the first time, and many old fans came along too to meet Kit and say hello. One very special visitor was Aziza, whose mother and grandmother are both huge Stonewylde supporters. Kit signed three books for Aziza for when she's a little older. Kit had a long chat too with the organiser of the event who's keen for Kit to run a workshop here next year.

June 2009

June 27th and 28th - Buxton Health and Healing Festival, Derbyshire. This was a fantastic weekend, set in the lovely venue of the pink Pavilion in the spa town of Buxton. Kit and Mr B stayed in a brilliant farmhouse B&B and managed to walk in the Peaks and visit the stone circle of Arbor Low, as well as attend the festival. So many wonderful Stonewylde fans turned up to meet Kit, and a huge amount of books were sold making this the most successful Mind/Body/Spirit event yet for Stonewylde. Despite the incredible heat Kit enjoyed giving her talks and particularly enjoyed meeting with her readers, who make everything worthwhile. Their accounts can be read on the community site - click here.

June 25th - Philip Carr-Gomm's book launch, London. Kit and Mr B spent a fantastic evening in Treadwell's Bookshop in Covent Garden, London at Philip's book launch. Philip is the chief druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and Kit was introduced to him by Damh the Bard, the very popular singer and songwriter. Philip and Richard Heygate have just had a beautiful book published - The Book of English Magic, and this was their launch party to celebrate. Kit and Mr B really enjoyed chatting with Philip (who's about to read Stonewylde when he goes on his hols!) and Richard, and many other very interesting people. The book looks incredible - one of those books you just want to own, and Kit and Mr B can't wait to read it.

June 6th - Wessex Folk Festival, Weymouth, Dorset. For the first time, Kit teamed up with the amazing Simon Costin and his travelling Museum of British Folklore and spent a wonderful day in sunny Weymouth at Hope Square and Brewers' Quay. The Wessex Folk Festival was brilliant - so many colourful groups dancing their clogs off, wonderful music and enormous crowds of both locals and grockles. Simon, who's a fashion set designer by trade, is also a passionate advocator of old folklore and customs, and has recently launched a project to build a permanent museum to preserve and display our heritage. In the meantime he's taking a beautifully painted caravan around the country to various events. Inside it's like the Tardis! There are many exhibits from a mummified cat to a corn-babby, all of them fascinating and steeped in history. Simon himself is larger than life with the most incredible clothes imaginable, and he and Kit plan to team up again soon. Check out his website and project by clicking here. Many thanks to the Folk Festival organisers for such a great day, and hopefully the many people who bought copies of Stonewylde will now be enjoying them.

May 2009

May 31st, BSSK Mind Body Spirit event, Lincoln. Kit and Mr B spent a wonderful day at this lovely event and on arrival were greeted by FOUR Stonewylders in their green man T-shirts! It was lovely to meet readers from the forum, and many new faces too. Kit's talk was very well attended and loads of people bought Stonewylde books. Thanks to Magik Thread again for hosting the bookselling, and Angie for organising such a good fair. And thanks to the lovely Stonewylde fans who turned up and were so supportive. They handed out cards, dragged unsuspecting people over to meet Kit and sung the praises of Stonewylde. With fans like this, Kit will take over the world!

May 16th - Pagan Federation Interational Annual Conference, Netherlands. Thanks to the efforts of a couple of very loyal Stonewylde fans, Kit was invited by Lady Bara to speak at the annual conference in the Netherlands. She and Mr B were met at Amsterdam airport by Sorcha and escorted to Lunteren where the event was taking place. It was really friendly and Kit and Mr B were made to feel most welcome. Kit was honoured to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies for the event, and then it was down to business. They quickly sold out of all the books they'd brought along, much to everyone's disappointment, followed by the T-shirts and greetings cards. Kit then spent most of the day chatting to people and was overwhelmed by everyone's enthusiasm. Her talk was well received by a packed room of people, and those who hadn't mangaged to buy copies of Stonewylde vowed to buy them on the Internet. Kit and Mr B stayed for the party afterwards, with a lovely Indonesian meal and entertainment from a live band. Ebany's hospitality was wonderful, and the next day Kit and Mr B were sorry to return home to England. They'd made some good friends during their brief stay, both from existing readers and new ones, and hope to return another year. Many thanks to Ebany and Sorcha for their kindness.

April 2009

April 25th and 26th - Health and Healing Festival, York. Kit and Mr B spent a wonderful weekend in York at this festival, and Kit gave her talk "Reconnecting with Nature" to two big groups. Many people bought copies of Stonewylde, and some lovely fans visited specially to meet Kit. Everyone here was so warm and welcoming and Kit is looking forward to doing more talks and signings at Mind Body Spirit events throughout 2009.

Podcast of interview with Damh the Bard on DruidCast. Damh is a great Stonewylde fan and had asked Kit to be his guest for the April podcast which he puts out on DruidCast. They did an interview on skype lasting for over 40 minutes, which can be heard by clicking here. The DruidCast is listened to all over the world, and Damh really hopes that this interview will help spread the word about Stonewylde.

March 2009

Saturday March 28th - Caer Dur in Dorchester, Dorset. Kit had been invited to this event in her old stamping ground by Jerry Bird of Green Man fame. Kit met up with several loyal members of the Stonewylde Community (one of whom had come over from the Netherlands) and was also delighted to meet Marian Green, a famous author in pagan circles. Kit enjoyed signing copies of her books and the picture here shows her with some of the younger fans who'd come to meet her.

February 2009

Sunday February 22nd Mind Body Spirit Fair in Newark, Notts. Kit spent a brilliant day up in Newark at this very popular MBS event. She was the guest of The Magik Thread booksellers, and gave a talk to a big audience about Reconnecting with Nature. It was great to meet members of the Stonewylde Community who'd travelled specially to meet her. Kit and Mr B thoroughly enjoyed themselves and plan to attend more events such as these in the future.