Simply The Best!

To, Sylessae & Nikki

I’m not sure what witchcraft you undertook to pull off this little surprise, but there’s a love heart for each of you up there because you are both utterly AWESOME!

Okay, folks…here’s a little story about how amazing both the #WritingCommunity and the #ArtCommunity are.

Let’s start with the writers.

As a part of an initiative to boost my followers on Twitter (a not unusual practice for prospective authors), I started following and interacting with the #WritingCommunity. I met a whole bunch of people on there and forged some really interesting friendships. Friendships that transcended the boundaries of Twitter.

One such friend is Nikki. You’ll find her on Twitter under the moniker of @nikkitwisted.

We struck up a friendship quickly and have been helping each other out in all kinds of aspects of writing. She’s been instrumental in helping me query, and has been a god-send when it comes to finding all my stupid mistakes in ‘Hunters‘. She’s a proof-reading goddess!

In return I’ve been helping her with her own book, and doing some logo work for her and her #WCAD Twitter group. 

Now…just before I got wrapped up in the #WritingCommunity, I was avidly following the #ArtCommunity.

I LOVE ART.

Just want to put that out there. I’ve dabbled in art myself, and I think I could get pretty decent at it if I had the time to practice. Alas, my writing and my dayjob take up so much time I don’t get a chance. But I do love watching other people draw and paint. It’s relaxing. It puts me in a mood to be creative myself. (I just wish that they were UK-based so I wasn’t on such a time difference and could watch them Twitch stream more regularly!)

Check them out on the link below…

Find my favourite ARTISTS here! All collected in one place for your convenience.

@Sylessae was the first of these artists I found, and one of my very, very, very favourites. I ADORE her work, and had long dreamed about having a commission piece of hers hanging on my wall. I got halfway to that dream last year when I bought one of her Daemon Animaurus pieces.

I love this piece. 
It struck an immediate chord with me because I have a were-tiger in ‘Hunters‘ and was looking to expand that into Book 2. This picture gave me a huge amount of inspiration… so, Syl – if you’re reading this – when you read book 2 you can smile and accept a chunk of the credit for inspiring me! Thank you!

That piece is hanging on my wall, but the dream was to have a real commission piece. I wanted a Sylessae painting of Gayle. 
One day…

On Monday 9th March 2020 I received a package at work. A tube.

I was heartily confused. Even more confused when I saw the name of the sender… Sylessae.

I pulled the tape off the end of the tube and reached inside. There was a rolled up painting in there, that much I could see, but it was at the other end of the tube. I pulled out the note that was inside it first…

Now by this point, I was already emotional. I get that way when wonderful people do awesomely nice things for me.

Typically in life, I’m the kind of person who expects more to get kicked in the teeth than have good things happen. Yeah, I know… I’m jaded that way.

But I still try as hard as I can to put good karma into the world. I will help and encourage anyone I can to achieve their hopes and dreams. I do this because I know what it feels like to aspire. I have those same hopes and dreams. 

I want to be a published author. That’s my dream and I’m lucky enough to have a wife and wonderful friends who go above and beyond to help me achieve that dream. 

In return, I’ll go out of my way to help the people I love. 

So, I pull out the painting from the tube…

It is simply gorgeous. 

Breathtakingly gorgeous and when I saw it I was utterly overwhelmed.

I can’t thank both Nikki and Sylessae enough for this most amazing gift. I’m utterly blown away!

To Nikki… Anything I can do to help you, just ask. I am all over it. Maybe a collaboration book or something. I think it would be super fun to partner up and write with you.

To Syl… I have been a supporter for a while now, and my support is now set in stone. I’m absolutely enjoying watching you grow as an artist and it’s a privilege to have your art on my wall. And when you read Book 2 and see a white tiger lady appear in the story…know it was you who inspired me.

Thank you both. From the bottom of my heart.

Love and Books (& Art too!)

P.S. When Nikki’s book comes out I’ll promote it! SO GO BUY IT! And Syl has a Patreon account, so please go and support her, buy her work. Oh and go watch her on Twitch because she’s just a cute bundle of googly eyed positivity and who doesn’t want that in their life?