Category Archives: Books

Queensland’s largest newspaper The Courier-Mail reviews A Wicked Kind of Dark

  I truly love it here in Queensland. The support given to me by the people of this justifiably proud and beautiful State has been overwhelming. Councillor for the Deagon Ward, the amazing Victoria Newton, read and recommended A Wicked …
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Returning to the keyboard – Book 2 of my young adult fantasy series

I’m on holiday, which means writing. I’ve given myself four weeks to finish the first draft of the next book in the Minaea Chronicles. I’m loving returning to Minaea. I’m also enjoying the change of scenery on Earth for Part …
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A Wicked Kind of Dark – Cover Reveal

Here it is: the cover of my young adult fantasy novel A Wicked Kind of Dark. Due to certain laws (and fair enough too), I’m not allowed to include Eminem’s Lose Yourself alongside this reveal, but feel free to play it. I’ve …
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Creating a Dark Lord – by Jonathan Benton

Throughout the book The Lord of the Rings, Sauron rarely (if ever, from memory) speaks a word. We don’t know what he looks like, nor are we given direct access to his thoughts. His presence, however, permeates through every page of …
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Fresh Thinking – A Wicked Kind of Dark – Jonathan K Benton

‘Toot Fraakyl’ is an ancient greeting used by Allaria, a beautiful (and she knows it) little fae that lights up A Wicked Kind of Dark. If Allaria greets somebody this way, particularly if she’s met them before, the phrase reminds …
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Trailers – Jonathan K Benton

I spent a couple of hours a few weeks ago dressed in an ankle-length, hooded black cloak walking up and down a dark Brisbane alley. If I ended the blog here, people might call the police, so allow me to …
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Writing: Emotional Economics

Other than the many great books I’ve read, I wanted to explore why I write, and I soon found that a lot of the clichés were true. It’s emotional economics: needs versus wants. If I didn’t write, regardless of publication, …
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Top Ten Reasons I Write: It’s all about the books!

1)       The Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rings was always going to be on this list. However, why number one? The writing is not as rich as Something Wicked this Way Comes, and not as clever (in …
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A Wicked Kind of Dark – Fairytales are not all petticoats and pixies

Always where light shines brightest, the darkness is most pitch. It is in these extremes, real and imagined, that our greatest stories unfold, and heroes stand tallest.   We see it in Wuthering Heights, when Heathcliff recognises in Hareton echoes …
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Practicing Prose – Jonathan Benton

I’d like to write a fantasy novel inspired by music – I have an idea but it requires some developing. The challenge is translating something as abstract as music into words. There’s no point writing a novel about music without …
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