Andrew McDowell

Tag: Mystical Greenwood

Maryland Renaissance Festival Multi-Day Passes
My signing will be on August 30th, a month away! I’ll be there alongside fantasy authors Anna Bright and Daniel M. Ford. It will be done with MDRF’s bookstore Page after Page. Tickets are required for entrance to MDRF and must be bought in advance, online only.

Multi-day passes will be available soon, on July 7th 10am Eastern Time, and can cover any specific range of days depending on which pass you choose. Individual day tickets will go on sale August 4th at 10am Eastern Time. These tickets will likely go fast, so make sure to plan on buying them right away if you want to come.

I will have copies of Mystical Greenwood and Beneath the Deep Wave as well as three anthologies featuring my poetry and/or short stories: Faery Footprints, Fae Dreams, and Into the Glen: Into the Light. The novels will be on sale at $20 each, and the anthologies $10 each. So, plan accordingly.

The event is on Facebook if you would like to join there or invite anyone you think would be interested.
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June 30, 2025
The Hero’s Journey: Initiation
Years ago, I talked about the influence of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces (one of my recommended resources), and how I saw Mystical Greenwood as the Departure phase in the hero’s journey. Thus, I planned for Beneath the Deep Wave to be the next phase, known as the Initiation. Likewise, I sought to look for little ways to stand out from the traditional storyline.

The “Road of Trials” is most prevalent in this phase, so I knew there would be a lot of traveling like in the first book. However, when I look at both books together, in terms of plots spelled out in another resource I recommend, 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them, I see Mystical Greenwood more of as an actual “Quest” story whereas Beneath the Deep Wave is much more an “Adventure.” The seeking more aligns with what the book refers to as the MacGuffin (made famous by Hitchcock). It makes sense, I suppose, since the Trials are meant to prove the hero’s worth.

I knew going in also that Beneath the Deep Wave was going to include romance, so this would tie in more with the “Woman as Temptress” rather than “Meeting the Goddess,” as I’d imagined Dermot might be faced with a dilemma: would his love compromise his vows to his magical order? Then, of course, there’s the “Atonement with the Father.” By the end, I don’t know whether this is a combination of “Apotheosis” and “Ultimate Boon,” but in some ways, akin to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, I thought about physical vs. symbolic treasures, in this case tying them in with the elements and the natural world. I shouldn’t say any more, for fear of spoilers.

I’ll end this post by saying that the last phase, the Return, will be and is an inspiration for the plot in last book in One with Nature. Happy Father’s Day!
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June 15, 2025
Kelpies and Selkies (Guest Appearance)
Many thanks to Esther Chilton for giving me a guest writer spot opportunity to talk about the two mythical creatures I introduced in Beneath the Deep Wave.

Guest Writer Spot
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May 10, 2025
Guest Appearance with Angela G. Williams
I would like to thank author and blogger Angela G. Williams for this wonderful guest appearance:

Author Spotlight: Andrew McDowell – Weaving Worlds of Fantasy and Wonder

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
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March 17, 2025
Coffee with…
Here I am again on author Sally Cronin’s blog, this time promoting another writer, one who has offered encouragement and kindness for years, Canadian author Sharon Ledwith.

Smorgasbord Coffee Morning – Author Andrew McDowell with Canadian Author Sharon Ledwith

I would also like to acknowledge that Sharon is one of the top six commenters on my blog. Here are the other five, all authors and/or poets in their own right:
Thank you all for your feedback!
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March 13, 2025
Poet of the Week
Many thanks to author and blogger Sally Cronin for another guest appearance. I’ve already shared blog posts, as well as book promotions and excerpts, with Sally, and now I’ve had a chance to share the poet side of me.

Smorgasbord Poet of the Week 2025 – #Chess Eight Pawns by Andrew McDowell

If you’re a poet looking to promote your poetry, or an author looking for opportunities to promote your book(s), I highly recommend you get in touch with Sally.
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March 5, 2025
Read an eBook Week
As today is the start of Read an eBook Week, here’s all of my work available digitally, whether in Kindle, Nook, or another eBook vendor. If you’re an eBook lover looking for your next read, I hope you find something that piques your interest. If you prefer print, they are available in print, too.

These are my novels, which feature magic, adventure, good vs. evil, forests gryphons, dragons, unicorns, and much more:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read | IngramSpark

Waterstones | Foyles

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read | IngramSpark

Waterstones | Foyles

And here are all anthologies available digitally and in hard copy that feature my poetry and/or short stories. This one includes my poem inspired by a real black cat:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read | IngramSpark

This one includes four of my haiku poems:

Amazon | Goodreads

This one includes six of my poems as well as six pencil drawings of mine:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

This one includes my short story about a monster-sized hammerhead shark:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

This one includes a poem I wrote inspired by the COVID pandemic:

Amazon | Goodreads

Waterstones

This one includes two of my poems and my fable about a mouse and a frog:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read

Waterstones | Foyles

These two include a psychological horror story involving knives and two of my poems, one of which is in the style of “The Raven.”

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read

Waterstones | Foyles

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

This one includes five of my poems:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read | IngramSpark

Waterstones | Foyles

This anthology features six of my poems:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read | IngramSpark

And this anthology features one poem of mine:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

Ratings/reviews are always appreciated. Mystical Greenwood reached 50 ratings on Amazon US last month! If you already have read and reviewed one of my works, and enjoyed it, please recommend it to a friend!

As it’s also Read Across America Day, I encourage all, not just my fellow Americans, to find the joy in reading and share it with as many people as you can, especially the young.

P.S. If you’re interested in opportunities for giving a writing presentation or workshop, submissions are open for the Maryland Writers’ Conference 2025.
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March 2, 2025
Maryland Renaissance Festival
I am going to be signing books at the Maryland Renaissance Festival! I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it. I remember going there a lot as a kid, once with the Tolkien Society in college, and having volunteered there a few times with my Masonic brothers.

I plan to have copies of Mystical Greenwood and Beneath the Deep Wave as well as three anthologies featuring my poetry and/or short stories: Faery Footprints, Fae Dreams, and Into the Glen: Into the Light. You know, I may have written the festival scene in Mystical Greenwood with the Renaissance Festival in mind.

My signing will be on August 30th. It will be done with MDRF’s bookstore Page after Page. Tickets are required for entrance to MDRF and must be bought in advance, online only. Daily tickets will likely go on sale August 1st. So be sure to mark your calendars or make a note on your iPhones. I hope to see you there if you can make it!
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February 27, 2025
Guest Post with Jan Sikes
Many thanks to author Jan Sikes for this opportunity to promote my fantasy books as well as discussing knowing when to stop (and no, I don’t mean writing).

Guest post! Andrew McDowell #Fantasy #YA @ammcdow.bsky.social
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January 30, 2025
Books Make Great Gifts
With the holidays now approaching, whether you are looking for yourself or someone you know, books make great gifts! So I wanted to re-share my published works that are available. In this first post, I’m highlighting my work available in eBook and print.

These are my novels, which feature magic, adventure, good vs. evil, forests gryphons, dragons, unicorns, and much more:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read | IngramSpark

Waterstones | Foyles

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read | IngramSpark

Waterstones | Foyles

And here are all anthologies available digitally and in hard copy that feature my poetry and/or short stories. This one includes my poem inspired by a real black cat:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read | IngramSpark

This one includes four of my haiku poems:

Amazon | Goodreads

This one includes six of my poems as well as six pencil drawings of mine:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

This one includes my short story about a monster-sized hammerhead shark:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

This one includes a poem I wrote inspired by the COVID pandemic:

Amazon | Goodreads

Waterstones

This one includes two of my poems and my fable about a mouse and a frog:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read

Waterstones | Foyles

These two include a psychological horror story involving knives and two of my poems, one of which is in the style of “The Raven.”

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read

Waterstones | Foyles

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Books2Read

And this one includes five of my poems:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | BAM! | Books2Read | IngramSpark

Waterstones | Foyles

Those available only in print will be featured tomorrow. Stay tuned. Ratings and reviews are always appreciated!
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November 29, 2024