Susannah MacDonald is an artist, illustrator, cartoonist, writer, poet and art teacher. She lives in Takapuna, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland with fellow artist husband, Alan MacDonald. Susannah has a special interest in mythology and alternative theologies, and draws inspiration from the natural world, all creatures great and small, and the concept of plate tectonics, which formed the basis of her degree in visual arts. Susannah has an extensive background in visual arts, music and teaching. She is also a spiritual counsellor.
Markas, son of an inter-plane diplomat, is obsessed with two things: dance and the image of a girl from Earth. When his sister vanishes and his father fails to return from one of his forays to Earth, Markas decides to traverse the dangerous Time Passage to find them. ‘I have been afraid before in my life, but this, I decided, was like that which, in the books of Ezsk, seemed to be like the descent into the Afterlife for the wicked. I seemed to be pulled from the main passage down a narrower tributary which reminded me frighteningly of lungs I had dissected in anatomy classes. My chest felt tight as if a great weight were pressing down on it. The plates were all but pinning me to their very surfaces; the excruciating sensation, hot or cold I could not tell, either freezing or melting me.’
Vasmox, ordinary fellow he believes himself to be, steps away from his Weaver class family background and fascinated by tales of reaching other planes by traversing the Great Waters, trains as a marine navigator. Despite not being at all religious he is drawn to the spiritual head of the Ezsk peoples, who spoke at his graduation, and from then on finds himself embroiled in an intriguing world of subterfuge and conspiracy in the midst of political upheaval. But as events unfold he comes face to face with a beautiful young woman, Thela, precociously clever musician, trainee swordswoman, and cousin of his friend and mentor, Rieyniz Xanders.
Thela, who with her brother and father Axzis and mother Rieyna are all part of the music makers in Temple, when political changes begin to undermine their way of life putting them in danger. Since she was a small child, Thela has had a passion for the handsome navigator Vasmox, friend of her cousin Rieyniz. But she is also fascinated by her grandfather’s huge sword which hangs on the wall of the family’s living room. So one afternoon she takes it down from the wall and swings it, an action which then leads to events she could never have imagined.
Axzis, son of Thela the Swordsmistress and Vasmox the head of the institute of the Paranormal in New Sydney, knows about his Ezskiasian heritage, though he has never been Over There. His rich and varied life as a student and lute player is, however, interrupted when he catches sight of a strange, masked figure on the side walk opposite where he lives. From then on his life takes dramatic turns where he comes face to face with his roots.
Lucy, a middle-aged Zealandian academic receives a large sum of money from an unknown source, which prompts her to finally follow her dreams and explore sides of her nature which have remained on hold for most of her life. So, she goes north to the mystical and myth-laden area of the beautiful Hokianga Harbour and the home of the patupaiarehe, fairies of Māori mythology. Her historic new home is beautiful. The forest mysterious and compelling. Then, in a strange configuration of trees resembling a tunnel, she comes face to face with something not wholly unexpected…
This saga begins with the story of Markas Xanders, virtuoso dancer and philosoper and revolves around the Earth interaction with the plane of Ezskiasia, and the relationships between the peoples, At i ........
The notion of time and plane travel is central to my book Echoes from a Time Passage, the forthcoming sequel. Within the narrative the best category being ‘futuristic, esoteric fiction’, the prota ........
Austin Macauley are one of the fastest-growing publishers, striving hard to give authors the best chance of succeeding in an increasingly crowded market. With headquarters in London, New York and Sharjah, Austin Macauley Publishers™ have established themselves as an energetic and innovative independent trade publishers.
+44 (0) 207 038 8212
+44 (0) 203 515 0352
mail@austinmacauley.com
Austin Macauley Publishers™ Ltd.
1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf,
London, E14 5AA
United Kingdom
