S.J.Budd

Some children's books are too good to be only enjoyed by children, Fablehaven is one such example. It's like reading the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time, when I first read Fablehaven it was like being a kid again and seeing the world with innocent wonder and curiosity. Had I read this book as a child my life would have been different. I would have been on the first plane, armed with a packed lunch and my trusty cereal box, to Connecticut to look for Fablehaven. I most definitely would have drank a lot more milk. Fablehaven, written by Brandon Mull is a remarkable debut. It's the first of a series which includes; Rise of the Evening Star, Grip of the Shadow Plague, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary and Keys to the Demon Prison. In 2012 Schaffer Studios announced it had bought the rights and Fablehaven the movie is currently in production. It starts off with siblings Kendra and Seth being forced to stay with their mysterious grandparents whilst their parents

What are adverbs? Adverbs  are words employed to modify a verb,  adjective  or other  adverbs. The cat walked slowly. The  adverb  is  slowly , it is describing how the cat was walking. It described further the verb which was  walked . The cat was particularly ruthless.  Here the  adverb   particularly  is describing the adjective  ruthless. The cat walked very slowly. The  adverb  phrase  very slowly,  describes the verb  walked. Why should adverbs be avoided in your writing? Because Stephen King said so. Whether or not you rate his books he really knows what he's talking about and is probably one of the most successful writers on the planet. He's written 54 novels, 6 non-fiction books and 200 short stories. So yeah, he's knows what he's talking, or should I say writing, about.  Using too many adverbs is generally considered lazy writing. Excessive use of adverbs tells your story rather than tell. This is something to be avoided at all co

Sanitarium is a magazine that brings you the best cutting edge horror fiction, dark verse and macabre entertainment. It's a fantastic read and I recommend to anyone who loves horror. It's out on the 20th of every month and is available in print and download from Amazon. In issue 32 there are eight brilliant short stories, incredible dark verse from William.J.Hugel, H.H.Bond, Colin Browen. There are two interviews with award winning writer Craig Davidson and Benjamin Percy, and if that's not enough there's numerous articles and reviews. As well as fantastic cover art by the hugely talented Kevin Spencer. Help support horror's finest and talented authors by buying your copy! Flesh or Fantasy by Gwendolyn Kiste We all have our wildest fantasies known to no one but ourselves, but what would happen if they came true? Would our lives be changed for the better?  Should our dreams remains in our heads or come out and join reality? This brilliant short story

In grammar a gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun. Here's an example There's a ghost that haunts the abandoned building. In this sentence the verb form  building acts as a noun . The sorcerer had mighty powers but terrible spelling Here the verb form spelling acts as a noun in the sentence.

An antecedent is a word, phrase or noun to which a pro- form such as a pronoun refers to. An antecedent serves to give meaning to a pro-form. A pro-form often follows its antecedent Here's an example The Dwarf who dwelled in the mountains, lost his magic axe. In this sentence the antecedent is Dwarf , it adds meaning to the pro-noun "who". The witch appeared by magic to let us know she was running late. In this sentence the antecedent is witch and the pronoun it refers to is she.

I'm not a gamer but I was intrigued about this book. It is the source of inspiration for The Witcher , an incredibly popular computer game. Written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski it is the first of two books which are a series of short stories linked cleverly together. The Last Wish is the first book in the series. The Witcher is a fighter, Geralt from Rivia, who earns his crust by ridding the world of monsters. The Last Wish is certainly fast paced and packed full with tales of many wondrous and macabre creatures such as strigas, vampires, evil genies and tempestuous sorcerers. Inside this delightful book you'll recognise many of the fairy tales but they won't be as you remember them from your childhood. The people and monsters in this book are not what they seem. Sometimes it is the humans that are the worst creatures of all. You'll be surprised at where your sympathies lay. You would expect Geralt to be a cold blooded killer intent on bloodshed and anni

 I've been writing on and off for years but recently I've decided to take my writing a lot more seriously. I still write just for the fun of it but I am interested to see how far I could take it if I were to treat it like a career. A few days ago I took the plunge and joined a writing group. I'd been toying with the idea of joining one for some time. Previously I'd heard mixed reviews about whether they're a good idea and was a bit too shy to join. I wasn't sure if I could handle critisicm at such an early stage of my writing. I also felt it would be hard to criticize other people's work. It was so nerve wracking posting my first chapter work in the group. Literally I am the only person that has read the first draft of my novel. It's so different to posting a short story. My novel is like my baby, short stories are like one night stands. If people don't like my short stories I'm not too fussed, but to hate my novel would be devastating.

The Last Unicorn is one of those books I'd heard so much about and has often been hailed as a classic. Many of my writing heroes, including Patrick Rothfuss, have declared it a masterpiece. He even said it was one of his favourite books, he's probably my favourite writer, so I had to see what it was about. I wasn't sure if it could live up to my expectations. I was completely wrong. When you read this book you feel like you are in a dream, its beautifully poetic and resonant. It's easy to see that this mighty classic, originally published in 1968, has inspired authors such as Neil Gaiman. The imagery is luxurious and bewitching. Each sentence is a treasure to read, this book is like a fine wine it should be enjoyed sip by precious sip. This book takes us on a journey but not your typical cliché journey you so often find in fantasy fiction. It's a delightful children's tale that is intelligent and charming much the amazing 'His Dark Materials'  b