The Boat Club on the estuary at Newport was the appropriate venue last week for the "launch" of Pembrokeshire author, Brian John's new novel called "Sacrifice."
A large number of fans of the Angel Mountain Saga called in during the afternoon to collect signed copies of the book, to listen to readings by Lis Evans, and to participate in a number of "grill the author" sessions.
These sessions, chaired by Elfed Evans, allowed readers of the books to ask Brian many questions about the stories, his writing methods, and the practicalities of getting the books into print.
The new novel is the seventh in the Angel Mountain saga, and it has taken readers by surprise because the author has already killed off his heroine, Mistress Martha Morgan, twice! But Brian explains that the six previous novels all have considerable gaps in their narratives, and that purely by chance he has happened upon another diary manuscript which conveniently fills a gap of nine years in the middle of the story recounted in "Dark Angel."
The author explains that this book, the first one that does not have the word "angel" in the title, is very different from the others in tone and content. It is more like a thriller than a historical romance, with a fast-moving plot and a number of very dark and disturbing episodes which punctuate the story line.
But the places are familiar, with Carningli and the mansion called Plas Ingli as ever at the heart of the action, and most of the key players are familiar too.
Among the new characters are Iolo Morgannwg (the infamous "inventor" of the National Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd of Bards), two rather exotic prostitutes, and four sinister members of a strange and very violent secret society.
As ever, Martha survives her adventures, but there are many who do not........
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