Imagine if you could control your dreams and turn nightmares into exciting adventures in history. That's the premise of the debut novel by Rhiwbina author Davey D. Jones, which is earning rave reviews on Amazon.
A Different Reality follows two boys, brothers, who can't get enough of their night-time dream adventures, as their spirits occupy hosts in a different time and place. Until, for one of them, it all goes horribly wrong.
As well as the five-star online reviews, Davey said: "The limited feedback I’ve had so far has been music to my ears – people who wouldn’t usually read this kind of cross-genre fiction have asked when the next one is coming out!"
Davey, who lives in Cefn Graig ("a short walk from The Deri!") and who currently treats writing as a hobby alongside his university teaching career, explained what inspired the book: "I used to love old-fashioned adventure stories and am fascinated by history so I’ve merged them with what might be considered a peculiar ability which I developed as a teenager – lucid dreaming.
"Research by the University of Adelaide suggests that 71% of us are actually lucid in our dreams and a few of those, including myself, can alter the direction of a dream if it’s becoming a nightmare".
That dreamlike image on the cover is locally produced too - it's by Rhiwbina artist Eric Heyman.
"He helped me design the cover and then showed incredible patience as I kept modifying it," said Davey. "You can see the final result for yourselves – the cover will make more sense when you start reading the book."
This is Davey's first novel, although he tells us he once wrote a sitcom as a form of therapy during a challenging period of his life when working as a teacher overseas. "During those bleak times, I decided to write a sitcom – my logic was that thinking up funny scenarios would cheer me up, and it did. The sitcom didn’t achieve any success, but [unlike many of his colleagues] I finished my teaching contract".
So what's next for Davey?
"If it appears that there is enough of an interest in the book, then I’ll carry on with the series. The boys will go on adventures to different times and places, exploring the most bizarre and fascinating times in history".
In the meantime, you can find A Different Reality on Amazon here.
And you can read more from Davey, including his insights on the writing process, on the arts and entertainment blog Piece of Pink Pie here.
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