Happy Spring guys! Sharing with you Tales from the Manor’s first day out! 🌸🥰 Do you often bring books out with you on adventures? Spring & summer are ideal for those floral, or beachy ☀️ holiday shots, the perfect opportunity to get out and soak in the sunshine ~ and who can tell these are in London 😲 🙌🏻 (Specifically round the Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens area which should be in bloom for the following few weeks.)
Once the roses hit, I’ll try to capture some more to share with you, fitting for ‘Tales’, which incidentally is set during a cool, June day!🌹😍 But for now, let’s appreciate these beautiful cherry blossoms…
Tales’ & Cherry Blossoms
Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens
Behind the scenes 😂
What signs of Spring do you have in your area? Share down below! 👇
Happy Thursday! How are you spending the day? The sun has decided to make its appearance, so for that I’m grateful! 🌞 How’s the weather where you are?
Coming to you today with a selection of quotes across my series, predominantly from Book 1 ‘Caskets of Ice‘ to start the ball rolling. (Quotes from ‘Tales from the Manor‘ were uploaded recently, see above in tabs!) Pop over to my Instagram post & stories and you’ll be able to vote for your favourites there too ❤
Hopefully they are able to provide an unbiased range (from different characters, different settings) for you to get a feel of my creations! Ha!
Here we go!
Peter
Alysia
A Dedication
Which was your favourite quote? If you’d like to see more of my writings let me know (especially in their poetry form and I can think about creating more art for them!) Stay tuned for more quotes coming soon 🙂
Hello friends and happy end of Feb! Spring is in the air, and I for one cannot wait for the weather to warm up in chilly old England! To celebrate the arrival of Spring, I am starting a new series where I post some of my favourite quotes from ‘Tales of the Manor‘. For each of the characters, you’ll be given a chance to vote your favourites below in the comments! As the weeks pass, you’ll be seeing some unseen gems from the ‘Caskets of Ice’ series too. Hope you enjoy!
So without much ado, let us begin! ❤
For more info about ‘Tales from the Manor‘, the link to access is below:
Have a great rest of the week, and don’t forget to wrap up warmly! x
Press subscribe directly on the site to read the latest segment when I post a new chapter weekly!☺️ I’d love to hear your thoughts over the course of the trilogy ~ who are your favourite characters, what do you think of the setting of the dreamworld? Do you have vivid dreams?
Synopsis:
How far would you go, if you had the power to control your dreams?
“One thing is true for them all; and what a price to pay- When they realise the ice caskets, which were once their tomb, are the only thing keeping them alive.”
Entering lands where things are eerily not what they seem, cannibalistic witches and glowing jade cicadas that bring nothing but misfortune. Where a dream devil wanders the dreamscape collecting souls, building his empire on nothing but fear and death. Beyond the caskets of ice, some doors should remain unopened….
If you’d like to own your very own copy to add to your shelves, the link on Amazon, including my latest gothic short story release “Tales from the Manor” can be found below. I have a collection of poetry too for you poetry lovers!
Hello guys! I’m alive again! (Kinda!) Being in dental pain over Xmas is no fun! 😖 Sending hugs to you friends, and be sure to look after yourself! Wishing you the best for 2025 🥳🥂😘
Have you managed to achieve your reading goal, or set up any for the coming year? I read around 56 this time, (58 last year) but to be honest, I’m just going with the flow! I do plan on branching out more with genres- thank you to those who recommended some historical retellings in my last post, I found copies & will be reading them soon!! 🥰
Aside from this, this year was definitely something- it really forced me to prioritise mental and physical HEALTH above all & and if there’s something you’ve been meaning to do, just do it! Really don’t put it off!
So the last post of the year is for the last batch of artwork created for ~ “Tales from the Manor” ~ The rag-dolls Violet finds in the dolls house of each of the friends. (For the rest, you’ll have to read for yourself… 👀)
Violet
Don’t look back ~ Peter
Kary
Dinah
Tony
Writing this collection of short stories was definitely a highlight for me, and I’ve loved sharing the (true!) stories that inspired them! Thank you for those who have shown so much kindness & support and if you’d like to read “Takes from the Manor” and experience this cosy, spooky journey, the link to order is below: ❤️
Brr, it’s cold outside (typical UK!) so what better way to celebrate than by reading something gothic & cosy over Xmas? ❤
What are your fav book features? I made sure to add gold foiling & ribbons inside my little hardcover creations! It doesn’t change the content, but it certainly adds a little happiness to the reading experience I think! 🙂
Showcasing the little horrors artwork for ‘Tales from the Manor’ that correspond with each of the stories in the book. Which are your favourite? 🙂
If you’d like to get your hands on a copy & have it delivered in time for Christmas (either for you or a loved one!) scroll below. The full link can also be found in ‘Tales from the Manor’ tabs!
Nightmares abound… (Violet)
The Doll ~ (Kary)
Night at the Carnival ~ (Tony)
The Crypt ~ (Peter)
Serving of Greenflies ~ (Dinah)
The Grandmaster ~ (Tony)
Paper, hardcover & e-book versions are all available for you to choose from! ❤ If you are based in the UK and would like a signed copy, feel free to send a message over in the ‘contact me’ page.
Christmas is finally around the corner! Are there any festive books on your radar?
They say to write what you want to read and this time I was really yearning for that gothic, historical cosy feeling, with a bit of the uncanny (also to try my hand at writing a psychological horror!) Especially as the cold, dark, winter months are upon us!
I was inspired by more traditional folk tales, as well as some more of the unique eerie, Victorian Literature based around this season! You’ve got your dolls and dream terrors, but also more fantastical, gothic romance.
If you end up picking ‘Tales from the Manor‘ either for yourself or a loved one this Christmas, firstly thank you! and secondly, I hope you enjoy this journey.
Let me know if you’ll be reading ‘Tales from the Manor‘ (I’ll probably be dipping into it during the Xmas week!) & we can do a buddy read together! 🙂
‘For she had seen him before, this voice in the shadows. The night her father died.’
“In Caskets of Ice, the author pulls you in with her detailing and dark mystery of the dream world. Within her dream world, you encounter horrors and fantasy. The characters have to battle the ultimate antagonist, who controls the horrors within their dreams, keeping them contained. The author delivers such a beautiful dark fantasy. The way she paints a picture with her words is inspiring. Such a beautiful read. There are even a few illustrations inside. Can’t wait for the next one!” ~ K.R. Bowman
“Kate’s writing is INSANELY beautiful. You can really tell that she writes poetry. Every sentence is lyrical, with really original similes and metaphors. The entire concept of a dream world was fascinating, and I loved the snippets of darkness we were told, from flesh eating witches to the fact that dreamcatchers are just a gate away for the Dream Devil! Reading this literally feels like you’ve fallen into a deliciously dark dream.” ~ A. Bismillah
“This book was utterly captivating, from the unique storyline to the eloquent use of the English language and the images within the story. I for one am so glad the author decided to illustrate her book because it gave so much more value to the story being told. I loved the uniqueness of the storyline, it is so unlike a lot of other fantasy novels out right now.
Casket of ice follows Dinah, who has spent her life troubled by the dream realm. Her life has been anything but normal, especially since her fathers passing, and mystical talking shadows follow in her wake, until she closes her eyes and the dream world sucks her deep into a vortex which is comes to realised is more real then she first believed. Alden the dream devil will stop at nothing to raise his army of dead, In his ice caskets he keeps his greatest creation. Alden has been invading the dreams of his victims terrifying them, but he encounters something he hasn’t before the sheer determination of Dinah, Alysia, and Orion to stop the dream devil, who will stop at nothing even killing the ones they love.
This book is a must read. You will fall in love with the characters and the storyline.” ~ Caroline Masci
“Wow this is such a lush, dark and beautiful world. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this story, but I found it was much more of a horror novel than I expected, which I really enjoyed. I don’t normally like the horror genre, but Dracula is one of my favorites and this has major Dracula vibes. Imagine Dracula meets Inception all set in a fairy tale. I loved the combination of these vibes- definitely a very original and creative world.
The writing in this was gorgeous- dripping with luscious descriptions and metaphors. It was reminiscent of Stephanie Garber’s prose, which I love. I also really appreciated how the writing felt dreamlike- having the scenes and POVs switch around so it felt like being in a dream while reading the story.” ~ J. Aldous
“Where is it that we go when we fall asleep? It is when dreams turn to nightmares, when we hear nothing but the throb of our uncomfortable thoughts to stop ourselves from fearing the darkness.”
Caskets is Ice by Kate W.J. White is a dark fantasy novel where dreams can be the horror of reality. Dinah seemingly has a normal life, full of friends, school, and the typical pitfalls of growing up. However, in her world of sleep, there is a dream devil preying on all that she holds dear – steeped in a past that goes much deeper than Dinah ever imagined.
Things I liked: – White’s lyrical writing. You can tell that Kate is a poet just in her prose: “Faith… It is nothing but the hues of grey between the black and white of clarity.” There were so many lines that were lovely. – The unique concept of the world building and plot. I liked the idea of a dream world that can harm our reality – or even allow us to entirely escape the truths of reality permanently. – The book turned out to be creepier than I had thought initially – I love being surprised as a reader. – While this book is YA, some of the elements of the story felt so elevated and mature, I wasn’t missing anything. I reached for this ebook more than the other books I was reading.” ~ E. Scott McMullen
So, a while ago I posted a cover of my book ‘Caskets of Ice‘, and after much deliberation and much inspired from the wonderful designs I found in “The Sleeper & the Spindle” by Neil Gaiman (Illustrated by Chris Riddell) I have come to the conclusion…..
That I am officially looking for an illustrator for my work. It is action/adventure fantasy, with gothic dreamy aspects with plenty of queens and castles that will appeal to all lovers of fairy stories-though not 100% a fairytale. It blurs the boundaries between dreams and reality from a perspective of a girl who yearns to escape from her daily life, trapped in a world which is far scarier, creepier and sometimes, downright brutal than she ever imagines.
It celebrates the imagination, and when dreams come alive.
All ideas are welcome! Below is the existing cover, designed by the talented Bonnie:
Here are examples of some of the illustrations you may see in “The Sleeper & the Spindle”, with their wonderful black and white drawings and gold leaf.
Please drop me a message if you are interested in collaboration, or you want to know more information about the book. Let’s begin on this magical journey together…
Katewjwhite 