Abercrave is a village four miles from where I live and this,  the first reading of my books to be performed locally. It is a privilege to be invited, though perhaps a little daunting in some respect, as I was about to share two stories, both Welsh in origin, historical, and one of local legend. Ballad of Penygraig is a story born only five miles from Abercrave and factually, a part of local history. I have lived in this valley for seventeen years and nearly thirty in Wales. But I am from Yorkshire writing about Welsh history, some factual, some fantasy. Furthermore, Owain Glyndwr is the most famous and revered of Welsh hero’s, how would Crach Ffinnant be received? This group of wise folk share a rich tapestry of local and national history, thus  how would my work be received, me an english man? Food for thought but needless in the scheme of things.

I must firstly, apologise for our lack of technical prowess in filming, as the beginning is a little shaky, but only for a minute or two, then a perfectly upright me is viewed. Secondly, I have not edited the film because I did not want to lose any audio. Each book is introduced with explanations of why I wrote them and then readings performed. I wish we had filmed the nattering over tea afterwards, so much interest shared, it was a super experience. For me, the learning curve continues.

Arriving as the formal part of their meeting began, it was very hard for me not to smile, when the chairman (91 years young) asked, “Has anybody died since last month?” Thankfully, nobody had and the minutes and announcements continued. Then it was my turn.

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What an absolute pleasure to spend the day in Aberaeron, a picturesque coastal town, oozing with a rich heritage on the West coast of Wales. Karen Gemma Brewer & Niki Brewer organised a grand weekend of music and literature. Driving through torrential inclemency, enjoying what glorious scenery was revealed between enormous raindrops, spending a little longer than I would like behind a rather large horse-box, I arrived. A splendid day of varied readings from authors and tables of thousands of books. The atmosphere inspired me. The video below is live and unedited. I would like to sincerely thank Karen Gemma Brewer for my warm introduction. Such kind words from a wordsmith of her calibre are very meaningful and made me feel humble. Thanks to Derek and Sian for their help and to Dennis Robinson for managing the stage. I look forward to coming back in 2019.

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Like all artists wanting to be successful, and I am no different, our hugest stumbling block is getting stories and books on global platforms of notoriety. Press, radio, television and internet organisations across the globe are deluged by self-promoting writers, and the pile we may end up under, is like a mine shaft getting deeper all the time. We may have a publisher, and in my case, Words Matter Publishing are five-star however, it is up to me to get my book out there, take risks, enabling the possibility that the few who have fallen in love with Crach Ffinnant, will become many. I am now working closely with PR For Books who have many years experience. Together, and in partnership with WMP a three-month PR campaign is about to be launched live across the UK and beyond. So join me in raising a glass to Crach’o’Magic and Global Domination.

Some abstracts from PR Press Release

Crach Ffinnant – The Prophecy: Cinematic, Award-Winning Fantasy Novel Brings Wales’ “Forgotten Hero” Back to Life

Lazarus Carpenter’s ‘Crach Ffinnant – The Prophecy’ takes readers from 1375-1398, as they walk alongside Ffinnant himself; a dwarf, prophet and seer to Owain Glyndwr – the nation’s greatest hero. From magic and dragons to a unique fusion of fact and fiction, it’s no wonder Carpenter’s creation has recently won a coveted U.S. publishing deal. One critic wrote, “What an engaging and hypnotic tale, Crach Ffinnant a wonderful hero .. well-remembered!”

PART FOUR

‘COMING NEXT’

It is important to promote our work at every opportunity, even before it is published. Before, winning WMP writing competition earlier this year, I was submitting the manuscript for Crach Ffinnnant – The Prophecy to publisher after publisher. In the clip below as Author in Residence, I have just been interviewed in Part One by Cheryl Beer in the Quiet Space Studio, about the Ballad of Penygraig. This is Part Two, where for the first time I introduce my magical dwarf in all his glory. I introduce Book One and Two (even though the latter was not finished). I also share some ideas from Ravens and Dragons which I am now writing. Now ‘Crach Ffinnant has a life, with much more to live and give! I am very fortunate to live in Wales where the cultural heritage is so rich and ancient, a wonderful source of creativity for a storyteller. I am proud to be part of the arts community with so many talented writers, poets, actors and musicians. Time for global conquest with Crach Ffinnant.

So if you get the chance to natter about upcoming manuscripts, take it! Remember, nobody tells your story better than you!

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PART THREE

The beauty of the Web is an ability to spin so many strands linking comments, images, audio and video of our work. Bringing alive promotion and enabling it to vibrate across the Web, results of some kind cannot fail. It is the way of things. As wisdom from Native American philosophy reminds us, ‘all things are connected in this Web we call life’. That does mean ‘all’. So our Web has evolved, as we do to! Recording events such as book fairs, interviews, performances of readings and the like on film and audio is a good habit to get into. Whilst you may not use everything you record and some you do may be edited, it provides a useful personal account from which to both use to promote our books and to learn from. Watching yourself perform on film, can be very daunting but it is one of the very best self-help tools we can use. The same is said for radio, podcasts etc. If you are bored with you, then so will others be too. Take risks, be an actor when you perform readings. Bring it alive with your words and personality. Be your story! There is no other soul better placed to tell your story than you. Be creative in opportunities coming your way and use them.

Some time ago my book the Ballad of Penygraig became a radio programme, ‘On the Trail of the Ballad of Penygraig’, hosted by Stuart Loosemore. In a live interview we walk the story, through its very roots and at the same time, share personal anecdotes of my connection and why I had to write it. This programme was not scripted and does I think demonstrate how important it is to live our story when we talk about it. Be comfortable and just be you with all the passion you can muster. Copying the programme to soundCloud also enabled me to post it wherever and whenever and still does. This experience and others like it have helped me so much in the work now ahead. Promoting Crach’o’Magic. More tomorrow!

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