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December 2008
 December 23rd 2008 and repeated all week- Glastonbury Radio - interview with Kit on "Witching Hour". Thanks to a request from one of the Stonewylde Forum members, Kit was interviewed by Liz and Trevor of Glastonbury Radio . Liz is a Stonewylde fan herself, and the books sell very well in Glastonbury (no surprise there!). Kit answered questions about Stonewylde.
 Sunday December 7th, Festival of Tantra & Healing Arts, Dartmouth, Devon. Kit was invited by the organisers of this lovely event to give a talk about Stonewylde, and was especially looking forward to this as she's never visited Dartmouth before. What a beautiful little town! The Tantra Festival was great, held in the Flavel Centre and just flowing with peace and energy. There were many tantric workshops, healers, complementary therapists and of course wonderful stalls. The group who attended her talk were a real mixed bunch, but all had one thing in common - their love and respect for Mother Earth and the natural world. Kit explained how Stonewylde was born, and how her experiences with nature and earth energy changed the course of her life and inspired her to write the Stonewylde Series. She also talked of the pagan calendar and the eight festivals of the year, and many who hadn't already read the books bought signed copies. Kit hopes to return to Dartmouth next year, as she really enjoyed herself talking to such open and welcoming people.
 The other highlight of this visit was meeting up with several members of the Stonewylde Forum for the first time! They'd come from different parts of Cornwall and Devon especially to meet Kit and each other, and a very enjoyable hour was spent in the cafe at the Flavel Centre. It was great to put faces to names at last, and Kit felt honoured to meet some of her very loyal supporters. It was interesting to see such a spread of ages too - indicative of Stonewylde's wide appeal. Cornmother presented everyone with a beautiful corn dolly she'd made especially, and the two girls working in the cafe insisted on Kit signing their T-shirts!
 December 1st and 5th, Park House School, Newbury. Kit spent two days at the Park House School talking to the whole of Year 10, who are about to start on their "Original Writing" coursework for the English GCSE. Kit was made very welcome by Mrs Tyrrell the school librarian, who'd made a lovely Stonewylde display.  The teaching took place in the library with eight different classes over the two days, and the students were excellent. They heard of how Kit wrote her books and how everyone can use real life experiences and anecdotes as inspiration for their writing. Kit had a wonderful time at the school and enjoyed working with so many youngsters and teachers. And hopefully her time there will help them if they're stuck for ideas.
November 2008
 More to Life Than Shoes. Kit was interviewed for this fantastic lifestyle website for women, in the section "I love my job". She spoke of all aspects of life as a writer and why being an author is such a great job. Kit will be writing more for the website soon - her top tips for would-be writers. Click here to read the interview.
 Spirit and Destiny, Dec (out in Nov). Magus of Stonewylde received glowing reviews in December's issue of Spirit and Destiny, which is billed as "The UK's No.1 Spiritual Lifestyle Magazine".
Three of the magazine's Book Club readers reviewed the book, with great praise such as "The author has a huge talent for descriptive writing" and "I found myself totally absorbed - this is escapism at its best".
The magazine has now requested Moondance of Stonewylde and Solstice at Stonewylde to review in future editions, so watch this space next year!
House Beautiful, Dec/Jan issue (out in Nov). Kit and her huge family were part of a special Christmas feature in this popular glossy magazine, which also mentioned Stonewylde and her writing. The magazine had been looking for a family where everyone descended at Christmas, and Kit and Mr B certainly fitted the bill for this! There was a lovely photo of both of them and some members of their family posing with sleeping bags and towels (part of the Nightmare of Christmas when there are so many bods to accommodate!) and Kit gave some top tips for coping at this busy festive season when the family descend.
 November 1st, Waterstone's Swindon. This was Kit's third visit to this busy branch, and once again the staff were wonderful. They'd especially booked Kit for this day as they were all dressed up in Hallowe'en outfits and she was the witchiest author they knew!  Kit spent a lively couple of hours in the store chatting to customers and signing her books. Although Stonewylde is largely read by adults, this particular visit saw many teenage boys buying the series and Kit enjoyed talking to them about the young hero of the novels - fifteen year old Yul. Many thanks to all the staff for their efforts, and especially Hayley, the red witch, and Kev the assistant manager dressed as Dracula.
October 2008
 Best magazine, Issue 44. Another great double paged feature on Kit and her interesting life story - the rise from single frumpy school teacher to happily married author! Kit and Mr B had spent a morning posing for the photographer and the photos in this feature were great. There was also one of Kit and her sons on her wonderful wedding day, looking very glamorous, and a highly embarrassing one of Kit before her transformation.
 October 11th - Western Morning News - Cornwall. Kit was interviewed recently by features writer Denise O'Leary of this well known daily west country newspaper. Many thanks to Stonewylde fan Cornmother for making the introduction. Denise was interested in Kit's connections with Devon and Cornwall and has written a very good whole page feature. You can read the scanned PDF version (380K) with pictures or the text only Western Morning News version on their website.
September 2008
 September 6th - Waterstones, Dorchester. Kit spent a really fun morning in Dorchester, looked after by Jenny of the Waterstone's staff, and met many old fans who'd come in specially to say hello. One family where mum, dad and two daughters are all Stonewylde fans came in (this is their third book-signing visit) and another lady called Sylvia, who had to buy a new set of Stonewylde just so she had signed copies! Kit really enjoyed the morning, especially when another fan arrived complete with teenage children wearing Stonewylde T-shirts. They handed out cards to passers by, and were so supportive. This shop was the very first to stock Stonewylde in 2005 when it was Ottakers, and Kit really appreciated the lovely display the staff had made for her. Thanks to all who came in specially, and welcome to all new readers who bought the books.
 September 5th - Radio Wessex FM . Kit was the guest of Steve Bulley for half an hour and got to talk about her books, her inspiration and the future of Stonewylde on this popular lunch-time show. Steve was interested to learn how Kit first came up with the idea for Stonewylde, years ago, whilst driving past the walled Drax estate near Wimborne. He was also very interested in how Kit has built up a forum for loyal Stonewylde fans who want to continue with the whole experience, and are eagerly awaiting the fourth book in the series. When Kit spoke of the possibility of a film he became very excited, and asked her to remember the interview one day when she was famous. Kit promised she would return and do an exclusive for Radio Wessex FM, when that day arrives!
 Woman & Home - October issue. If you're interested in finding out more about Kit and Mr B's amazing love story, and how she triumphed over adversity as a single mum, take a look at this issue of the popular glossy magazine Woman & Home. They've featured Kit and her story in a lovely double-paged feature. Let's hope this will bring more people to the world of Stonewylde.
August 2008
 August 16th - Kit and Mr B inside Stonehenge! Thanks to an invitation from a Stonewylde fan, Kit and Mr B were part of a special access visit to Stonehenge for the night of the August full moon. They spent a truly magical evening first walking around the stones at Avebury, followed by a very exciting hour spent actually inside the world famous stone circle at Stonehenge after dark. This was an amazing experience, impossible to describe, and very different to walking around the stones in daylight with hordes of people. Kit returned feeling very spiritually charged.
 August 9th - Saturday Telegraph. Kit was featured in an article appearing in the Weekend section of the Telegraph, written by journalist Tamsin Kelly. Entitled "Break with the past", the feature focussed on three women who'd made life-changing decisions whilst away on holiday, and gone ahead and actually implemented them. Read about Kit's "deck-chair decision" by clicking here.
July 2008
July 5th - Quest 2008 Newton Abbot, Devon. Kit joined Steve and Debbie of Mercury Rising for one day of this great event. Unfortunately the weather was atrocious. Not only was it pouring with rain, but the wind was gusting and blowing sheets of water right across the raceground where Quest is held. Kit met several old fans who'd come to say hello, and a few new ones too, but mostly people either stayed away or huddled for shelter in the main hall. All in all a wet and cold day, made worse by the fact that Kit's train home was cancelled, the station cafe was shut, and the waiting room full of wet and miserable people! Let's hope for better weather next time.
 Chicklit website article. Kit was invited to write a piece for this interesting website (don't let the name put you off - we all know Stonewylde isn't chicklit!) for the Writing Tips page. She was asked to explain about writing cross-over fiction - books that appeal equally to adults and teens. Read what Kit wrote here.
June 2008
  Summer Edition - First Great Western magazine. Magus of Stonewylde appeared in the summer edition (June to August) of the free magazine produced for all customers travelling on Great Western trains. The review was glowing in its praise for the first book in the Stonewylde Series, describing it as "absolutely enchanting" and "totally captivating".
May 2008
May 31st - the Wessex Gathering, near Swanage in Dorset. Phil and Nina invited Kit to speak at this  popular annual event on the Isle of Purbeck after a recommendation from two Stonewylde fans. The weather was warm and sunny, and Kit spoke to a crowd in the large marquee about the Stonewylde Series and her experiences in Dorset that inspired the books.
 She then spent a lovely afternoon signing books with Jerry and Diane Bird of the Green Man Books, and got to meet many people who'd already enjoyed the series.
 Kit also met up with Damh the Bard, a very keen Stonewylde fan, who gave Kit copies of all his CDs, including his latest release, "The Cauldron Born". As he already had the whole set of Stonewylde books, Kit couldn't reciprocate. So instead, she gave him a Stonewylde T-shirt to wear at his next gig. It was lovely to be back in Dorset in such beautiful surroundings, and hopefully all the folk at the Wessex Gathering enjoyed a great week's camping.
Monday May 19th - Interview on BBC Radio Devon with Judi Spiers! Kit spent a wonderful morning in the studio with Judi Spiers in Exeter on her morning radio programme being interviewed live on air. Judi is a great Stonewylde fan - she's been well and truly Stonewylded - and this really came through in the programme. Judi admitted to being slightly moongazy herself. She'd finished the third book the night before the interview and of course asked the usual question - "When's Book 4 coming out?" Judi had some interesting ideas about what would happen next, but Kit gave nothing away!
Kit and Judi discussed the books on air and Judi was excited by the idea of a film company being interested in the books. She began casting Magus there and then! Kit really enjoyed the interview and Judi put her at ease with her enthusiasm and friendliness. You can listen to the whole interview by clicking here.
Whilst in the BBC studios, Kit also recorded an abridged version of the first chapter of Magus of Stonewylde, which was aired the following week in daily five minute slots. You can hear Kit's readings by clicking here.
 Saturday May 17th - Monkton Wyld. Kit returned to the amazing holistic centre Monkton Wyld, near Lyme Regis in Dorset for a course on Sacred Trees. Kit was last there five years ago and was given a very warm welcome by the new management team. Sadly Glennie Kindred who was supposed to lead the course was ill, but Nik and Jo of Woodwize stepped in and were really brilliant. And it turns out, Jo is a great Stonewylde fan herself! Kit spent a wonderful couple of days learning more about the Ogham (the Celtic alphabet based on trees), walking around the beautiful grounds discovering all the different trees and experiencing their special energy, and working with wood to create wands and wooden pebbles. It was a truly magical weekend and Kit made many new friends amongst fellow participants.
 If you're interested in finding out more about the different courses Monkton Wyld has to offer, click here for information. For a real blast of pure Dorset, delicious food and an atmospheric stay in a lovely Victorian Gothic mansion, Kit thoroughly recommends the place. And get well soon Glennie!
April 2008
 The London Book Fair 2008: Kit visited the London Book Fair at Earl's Court for the third year in succession. What a long way Stonewylde has come since that first year, when she was busy looking for a distributor. Moongazy Publishing Ltd now has three distributors and all are supplying book shops throughout the country.
This year Kit had coffee with a member of Waterstone's Head Office, who was extremely helpful with advice. Recently sales of Stonewylde have increased in Waterstone's stores following their recategorisation of the series into General Adult Fiction. Kit also had a meeting with her buyer from Gardners, the biggest distributor, and discussed future promotions for the books.
Kit attended a very interesting seminar run by members of the national media - the Guardian (Susanna Rustin), the Sunday Times (Richard Brookes) and Radio 4 Today Programme (Rebecca Jones) . She learnt about how publishers and authors can make their books newsworthy enough to achieve coverage in the media - watch this space!
March 2008
 A lovely evening with the Blunsdon Women's Institute (WI): Kit did her first WI talk (several more are booked for later this year) in a little village in Wiltshire, the evening after she returned from Amsterdam. The ladies were very welcoming and listened responsively whilst Kit talked for forty-five minutes about her life, her writing and her hopes for Stonewylde. Many people bought copies of the books and greetings cards afterwards during coffee and cake time, and all seemed to enjoy themselves, including Kit.
 Kit brings Stonewylde to Amsterdam! : On a birthday trip to Amsterdam with her new husband Mr B, Kit popped into the large Waterstones there and was delighted to find Magus of Stonewylde on sale, albeit in the Teenage section. She showed copies of the other books to the staff, who were keen to stock the whole series and give them proper shelf space. Kit and Mr B then visited the amazing American Book Centre, recommended by a forum member from the Netherlands. There's a large English and American community here, and of course like many Europeans, the Dutch often speak fluent English themselves, so this American shop is very popular. They are famous for their huge fantasy section, and the buyer for this department was very enthusiastic about adding Stonewylde to the great curving shelves that make this bookshop so unique (along with a massive tree trunk that rises up through the floors!). Stonewylde will soon be available here too, as well as in Waterstones. All in all a very successful birthday trip to Amsterdam - and a great excuse to visit this wonderful city again!
 Reading University - A Celebration of Women Writers: Kit was invited to be a speaker at this annual one day event, held at the London Road Campus. Along with the other speakers, she read extracts from Magus of Stonewylde, including the powerful description of Quarrycleave. Then she ran her 90 minute workshop for a group of women, all of whom had read at least the first book in the series. Kit's planned talk was based on the works of Joseph Campbell and his study of archetypes which occur in all human story-telling, from ancient mythology to modern fiction. Kit had discovered this book long afte she wrote Stonewylde, and was amazed to find how her characters  seemed to fit into the archetypal roles described by Campbell. However, after a group activity that demonstrated the importance of local place and setting, one of the women asked if they could forget all the intellectual stuff and just talk about Stonewylde! So for the last half of the morning, Kit spent a lovely time discussing the books and her future plans for Stonewylde, and the group were able to ask lots of questions and discuss characters and plot. It was a really enjoyable session, and Kit was honoured to be invited by Penny Hunter, organiser of the event. The photos shown are courtesy of Liz, one of the members of the group.
February 2008
 Pagan Dawn Review : The Imbolc edition of the new look Pagan Dawn ran a double page feature about Stonewylde, and a great book review too! Copies still available - contact the Pagan Federation.
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