Stephanie Varah

I was a budding writer from the age of six when I penned my first short story Alison and the Magic Skiping Rope (one ‘P’) complete with illustrations. Decades later my mother presented me with this creation which she had lovingly preserved over the years. I have it to this day.

If not busy writing stories or poems, I was immersed in Enid Blyton mysteries which fired my already lively imagination and kindled my enduring passion for books.

Writing a book has always been a dream for me. I’ve never considered publishing anything however until my Dad, at the grand age of ninety, persuaded me that a ‘hobby novel’ I had been scribbling for over ten years whilst working full time, would be of interest to a wider audience. After cajoling a few friends and my granddaughter to give it a try it appeared that Dad was right – they all loved it. So, in 2019, in partnership with a local independent publisher, my dream was realised.

My debut novel The Woodsman, the story of Amos, a seventeenth century woodsman who accidentally slips through time to the present day and enlists the help of three unlikely heroes to find his way back, made its way out into the world. I am humbled by the positive feedback I received and the praise for its ‘beautiful descriptive writing’. Having eventually escaped from the world of work, ideas for a second book, a sequel (or maybe prequel) started to percolate and The Lost Wood began to materialise.

Both these books have unforgettable, quirky animal characters with big personalities at the heart of the story, the interplay between them is heartwarming and hilarious, readers have told me they formed a strong emotional connection with these clever, cheeky, endearing creatures and cheered them on. These characters are based on our menagerie of rescue pets. In my blog you can read more about how these hairy housemates appealed to my writer’s imagination.

My writing is also heavily influenced by the mystery and beauty of trees. Entering a wood gives you space to breathe I feel, a sense of peace and timelessness. It is impossible to enter the world of trees without entering the world of Nature’s magic. I am fascinated by tree folklore and the world of ancient tree spirits; the powers trees are believed to possess. The mysterious powers of trees are woven into the fabric of my books creating a magical supernatural quality and mystical feel.

The idea of stepping through a doorway in time has long fascinated me, I live in a place steeped in history, surrounded by echoes from the past, and have often wondered what life was like here centuries earlier. So, having decided to do some research into local history and legends, I was astonished when I unearthed some extraordinary facts about our village in the seventeenth century and its role in the English Civil War – a rich tapestry around which a budding writer could base their stories!