So I was on my way to the keyboard the other day and something happened. Well, to be honest, it happened after I reached the keyboard and opened an email from a fellow author by the name of David Hopkins. David is an author I ‘met’ once on Zoom when he was nice enough to waste an hour of his day talking to me for my podcast (now available on Spotify – search ‘lunaticsandmonsters’).

We had an interesting talk, and I’ll let you listen to the pod and you can hear for yourself, but David is a guy that’s been around a while and done a lot of stuff. He’s written a number of books, is active in the writing of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, he’s a dad and a father and he creates worlds – specifically through a new series called the Dryad’s Crown. During the pod he said it was going to be a 10-part series which is no mean feat. His first book, A Slow Parade in Penderyn is really good and it’s a fairly quick read. David writes ebooks, shorter than something like Magic’s Genesis, but he puts them out faster in e-book format. It’s not a book you have to dedicate a month to plough through. A good rainy weekend should do it, and that’s not a bad thing. (If you read faster than me, and let’s face it you probably do, you may not need an entire rainy weekend).

Admittedly, I do not read as much as I should these days. I’m more focused on writing than I am on reading, but A Slow Parade in Penderyn was kind of made for people like me. And perhaps that’s why when I opened David’s email I read one of the most honest-to-goodness coolest sentences I have ever read. “Would you write the cover blurb for my next book?”

What? Hells-to-the-yes I’ll do that.

Not only because it’s about as flattering a question as you can be asked with your clothes on, but also because David’s a nice guy and his book is an excellent read. So, the cover you see at the top of this blog isn’t my book, but it will always be special to me because it represents the first time I’ve ever been asked to do this. I’m still enough of a neophyte in this author world to get a little gaga over this type of thing, and honestly, I hope that never changes.

So, thank you David Hopkins for making my day three times. Once when you agreed to be on my podcast; once when I read A Slow Parade in Penderyn; and once when you floored me with what I consider a pretty high honor.

For those of you reading this while you’re waiting for ‘Evolution’ to arrive later this spring, go check out David’s books. Book 1 is available now and book 2, A Hidden Burrow Near Barcombe, is available for pre-order.

The Lunatics & Monsters podcast will return for season 2 starting April 7 with fantasy author James Duvall.

Cheers