Colour Of Light Series

N.B. Although not exactly vintage, these stories are mostly set in the 80s and 90s, when your average teen didn’t own a mobile phone and messaging/streaming/Netflix were mere twinkles in someone’s eye.

“Jacky Gray did an excellent job at drawing me into the storylines for all of the characters. The twists and turns of the stories were awesome. I am glad that the author put links to the full version of the books at the end so that I can go back and read it. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a quick fun book with magic.”

SG, Amazon Reader

“I read this series of shorts in quick succession over a couple of days. The author has captured the 80’s really well with attention to detail and her usual great characterisation. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more. I will definitely be looking out for the rest of this series. Five stars from me. “

JC, Amazon UK

Seven unlikely protagonists. Seven taxing situations. Seven opportunities for rebellion and/or redemption.
This fun bridge between the Hengist series and the sequel series, Colour of Light, gives a brief glimpse into some of the unsung characters. Although they never made it to the mic, they all have a part to play in the bigger picture of the Hengist people’s adventures when two worlds collide.
Please indulge me with the fairytale blurbs, they kinda fit. The stories are way darker than the Hengist YA series as each character battles the demons life throws at them.
Maura’s Magical Saviour
A poor-little-rich-girl follows the hippie trail to become a poor-little-poor-girl. All essential preparations for meeting a time-travelling Viking prince.
Lynette’s Stonehenge Rite
A spunky misfit meets a rugged soldier at the Dark Side of the Moon in this psychedelic, Alice-in-Wonderland adventure.
Edlyn’s Evil Scheme
A villainous bully with no redeeming features plots a violent revenge against a virtuous hero. Bonus – you get to hear Archer’s side of the story too.
Jack Jumps Hoops
A cowardly anti-hero learns valuable lessons from a tyrant-with-a-twist. Watch out for the Punkarella ending.
Kia’s Hot-dish Revenge
A rebellious Cinderella’s accidental revenge on her lazy mother backfires big time.
How Tamas Got his Scar
A happy prince falls under the spell of the most craven of bullies after a life-changing accident.
A Lie, a Witch and a Wardrobe
What is a drama brat to do when her lie results in incarceration and certain death? Why, rant, wail and wring hands, of course. Luckily, Claire’s geeky friend is trapped with her, so she can engage science brain and figure out their survival.

Warning: Although mild in terms of sex, profanity and violence, some readers may be upset by the torment in a couple of scenes. Nothing fans of Hunger Games or Divergent can’t handle.
This story runs in parallel with the Hengist series, but it is not necessary to read them before enjoying this series, as the stories in Context give a good summary of key events.

“Untapped magical abilities, forbidden love, hidden family secrets, and a dark ominous enemy out for revenge all while trying to live a normal life in two different worlds. this book is a mountain of magical mystery with the most touching yet deep connection between Archer and Rory that surpasses lifetimes. Definitely took me by storm.”

T, Amazon Reader

“I was absolutely enthralled by this book. Colour of light is unlike any series I have read before and the author has just blown me away with not only her character creation but also with the plot. I loved Rory and Archer and thoroughly enjoyed how their relationship grew and evolved throughout the book. The book is magical and filled with wonder and it leavings you begging for more.“

Annie, Amazon Reader

An unrequited teenage crush. A suppressed super-power. A world under threat from evil incarnate.
When Archer rescued Rory from bullies many years ago, she was smitten, but he was lukewarm. She doesn’t realise what she’d do to grab his attention until her supposed BFF decides he’d look good on her arm. When Rory’s gift, delayed from puberty, has her blacking out in the lighting box for a high school show, only he can help. What was that about being careful what you wish for?
The revelation that her mum and Archer come from a quasi-medieval alternate-world should have knocked Rory for six, but strange dreams clue her that she might have something in common with her idol, Buffy. As if! Archer’s attempts to help control her powers bring a bittersweet torture, but with college looming, she must persevere.
Archer’s mission to scope out the threat from the technology-obsessed world breaching into his own includes protecting Rory. But his orders are clear – inter-world relationships are verboten. It hurt to spurn her teenage crush, but grown-up Rory proves irresistible. As her gifts develop, the growing connection to the monster threatening his world makes her dangerous to be around, and he has to choose between his heart and duty.
The chemistry between them unleashes a devastating energy as the monster escalates his evil plan. They must dig deep to endure unbearable torment, and defy fate to stop him from destroying everything they hold dear.

Warning: For those people whose dislike of maths borders on a phobia, I suggest you skim through those bits designed purely to share my love of problem solving. Trust me, if you could see all the bits I cut out ...
For those who share my passion, there are a series of blog posts from June to August last year.

“Wow. This was a keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat thriller. I felt sick with worry for some of the characters in several places and intrigued by the strangely developing relationships. It’s great to see all my favorite elements (magic, humor, action and romance) play a part in this book. The best part for me, though, is the character development. Is it actually possible to like a psychopath?“

AR, Amazon Reader

“Wonderfully well-written, very hard to put down, and very cleverly done! Twists and turns had me hanging on to the edge of my seat. I absolutely loved it. A surprising ending had me smiling and I really can’t predict where things will go from here! Not knowing where the story will go adds to the mystery and suspense – what is going to happen next?“

KR, Amazon Reader

A shiny new romance. A world-threatening hazard. Will Archer ever get his girl?
Can Archer solve the infuriatingly smug clues to rescue Rory from the fiend who has her captive?
Thankfully, he knows a guy or three who are well up for Da-Vinci-style riddles. Just like in Die Hard 3, the nasty piece of work has him chasing all over the UK to collect tokens which will hopefully fit together to create a solution.
Rory needs every ounce of courage and resilience to withstand the incarceration, especially when her sensitivity makes her susceptible to dreadful experiences from the previous victim and the abductor himself. Despite subversive attempts to prevail, her particular gifts render her powerless to resist his mind-control techniques. What’s behind his obsession with Gretna Green and those sobbin’ women he keeps singing about?
Digging into the monster’s past, Archer realises how little he knows about the man who caused such chaos and devastation in his world. Frustration abounds when Archer finally has Rory in his grasp but she chooses her captor over him. Stockholm syndrome appears to have kicked in and, if he believes the texts from her phone, she no longer wants to be saved.
The stakes are raised as a powerful enemy from the past incapacitates Archer, and Rory discovers more about the twisted man and their tangled history. But do they have what it takes to break free and fulfil their shared destiny?

Note to reader: Although in principle a stand-alone story, this is the culmination of a 13-book saga, so it has a fun catch-up at the start in the form of movie scripts to remind of previous pertinent scenes.

“What an exciting read, this would be great to watch as a Netflix or a Prime series. I got lost in the characters, the chemistry between Archer and Rory should be relatable to women everywhere. The story was exciting, incorporating a sense of sinister and intrigue yet combining with the magical and mystical. If you’re looking for pure escapism with a frisson of romance this is for you.”

KR, Amazon Reader

“I’ve read a few books by this author, but this one hints at so many genres. I wasn’t expecting full-on military thriller combined with comedy-spy caper, but this story delivered, along with a touch of magic. And the usual credible characters in challenging situations making unexpected choices.  It ends on a shocker I didn’t expect.“

TH, Amazon Reader

A shiny new romance. A world-threatening hazard. Will Archer ever get his girl?
Not if fate, karma and the Gods have a say in it. Let alone the guy with the huge bag of spanners.
Archer never thought his love of spy movies would bleed into real life. His mission: to create a powerful mandala which will seal the rifts between the two worlds.
Having collected the tokens, everything should be on course for Archer and Rory to fulfil their destiny. But the reality of sharing her with his former arch-enemy-turned-good brings its own set of problems. Their progress is hampered because three really is a crowd but, just when the end is in sight, Gaia chucks in another spanner in the form of new rifts.
They are caused by a dark experiment, for which his brother’s dodgy past was the catalyst. Archer won’t sanction using Rory as bait, but the biggest spanner of all leaves them no choice. They must infiltrate a secret military lab to determine exactly what is causing this latest threat to the Hengist people.
No biggie, then.