House of Many Doors

As 2014 draws to a close, I'd like to write a little about something that I am inordinately proud of from this year: my husband, Ian, published his debut novel, House of Many Doors, in April. It's young adult fantasy starring a twelve-year-old British assistant antiques seller, Tony Lott, his elderly uncle, Martell, and his best friend, an ill-tempered teenage witch named Vanessa. Set in Britain, the story follows the main characters as they become entangled in a web of deception and dark magic that begins with a midnight auction of occult antiques, and quickly spirals into something much more mysterious and terrifying. At the center of the web lies the eponymous house of the book's title—just what is the House of Many Doors, and what does it have to do with the disappearance of Tony's father twelve years before?

I have been reading this story in its various forms for the past few years, and I felt such pride and excitement when I—at long last—read the final version at the beginning of this year. Seeing it all come together, first as an e-book and then as a paperback novel, was such an awesome experience for me, as I know it was for Ian. This book was preceded by many years of serious writing, interrupted by an MA in creative writing, and followed by several more years of writing, editing, and drafting. Though it's far from the first novel he has written, it's the first that he's published, which is a monumental event in the life of any author.

If you're interested in checking out the novel, you can find it in e-book and paperback form on Amazon websites worldwide, where you can also read a free sample.

You can also find an interview with Ian on the Meditations on Art website here.

For everyone who has already read the book and given feedback over the past year—thank you! We appreciate it more than you know.

Happy reading and happy New Year!