Discover real creepy places: the macabre catacombs of Paris, the Glasgow Necropolis, and the labyrinth-like GRI (Glasgow Royal Infirmerie).
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Hope to see you there! Invite your friends and family!
https://www.waterstones.com/events/andrew-cairns-the-witchs-list/dundee
Author Daniela Norris had this to say about The Witch's List :
"We all pretend to be rational, logical, empirical thinking citizens of a modern world but bubbling beneath the surface lie our primeval fears, our pagan practices, our superstitions."
Sandy and Martin, two thirteen year old boys, discover a book in their Roman Catholic school's library. 'Witches and Warlocks' detailed graphically a range of witchcraft and dark art practices, and it was the beginning of the narrator's - Sandy - fascination with witchcraft.
In a fast-paced, highly entertaining so-called fantasy novel (first of a trilogy) lie some hidden truths about the dark side of magic and mysticism. Yet it reads like a part-adventure, part travel-tale, recommended for anyone who has an interest in how life is affected by coincidences which run way deeper than anything we could ever plan.
The backdrop of the story - first Scotland, then France, and last but not least - Cote D'ivoire - where most of the story unfolds, is fascinating. Having lived in Africa for some years, I recognised the underlying mystery of dark magic that is an integral part of African culture.
I look forward to reading the sequel!
"I have always preferred the folly of passion to the wisdom of indifference."
Anatole France, The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnar
To paraphrase that great quote from Trainspotting, ...if you take a chance, you might just get to know the real me: witty, adventurous, passionate, loving, loyal - A little bit crazy, a little bit bad!
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My local football team, Dundee United, just got relegated. A 2-1, defeat to local rivals, Dundee FC, from across the street was the final nail in the coffin. Well done Dundee and good luck to both teams next season. Ray McKinnon, who I was at school with takes over as United's new manager: good luck mate, you'll have your work cut out!
Anyway, United and Dundee fans and anyone else are all welcome to support The Witch's List: come along to Waterstones Dundee on Saturday 16th July 12-2 pm, to buy a signed copy of the book. Let's make this book a winner in Dundee and then take on the big leagues!
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You can now preorder the electronic version of The Witch's List. It's available for example on:
https://www.amazon.com/Witchs-List-Andrew-Cairns-ebook/dp/B01G2M4N16
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Witchs-List-Andrew-Cairns-ebook/dp/B01G2M4N16
https://www.amazon.fr/Witchs-List-Andrew-Cairns-ebook/dp/B01G2M4N16
http://www4.fnac.com/livre-numerique/a9726210/Andrew-Cairns-The-Witch-s-List#FORMAT=ePub
French author Jean-Christophe Manuceau had this to say about The Witch's List:
"The Witch's List by Andrew Cairns is a real page turner. As soon as you start to follow the main character, a young bloke by the name of Sandy Beech, you want to know more about him and follow his path. It leads him from his Scottish home to a French university, and finally to Africa. For a guy who favours exotic women, and who does not believe in witchcraft, it’s a dangerous way to go. Despite the warnings given by a dying nun, Sandy marries a beautiful black girl, Rocky, and, after a few years of faltering happiness, follows her to her home country, the Ivory Coast, in the hope of winning her back. There, he will witness strange events and be the victim of a series of physical assaults that will leave him deeply wounded, physically and mentally. What’s really happened to him ? Does this black magic really exist? In this coming of age novel, written with wit and great emotional precision, Andrew Cairns creates a strange mixture of mystery, humour, horror and passion. Through the eyes of a young European, The Witch's List also depicts the discovery of a strange continent, and it’s different set of rules and values. A must-read, captivating and bewitching."
Jean-Christophe Manuceau, author of Cocteau Twins: Des Punks Célestes and L'homme Sans Parapluie
More 50 shades of black! From black eyes to black magic, with some black humour thrown in!
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Gregor Ewing, author of the excellent historical travel quest books Charlie, Meg and Me and Bruce, Meg and Me, had this to say about The Witch's List:
"A highly entertaining account of a boy’s journey - both physical and emotional - from youth to manhood. From schooldays, to university and into the workplace we follow our young protagonist, ‘Sandy’ as he strives to build a life for himself. Leaving his home in Dundee he gravitates south, to France and then West Africa, and the jarring cultural changes, which Sandy encounters, are brought to life authentically. The characters met along the way are fully developed and I formed an attachment to the young Scot that kept me gripped throughout, as the story builds towards a jaw-dropping conclusion."
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Embark on a voyage of discovery to Dundee, Glasgow, Paris and the Ivory Coast. See these places through the eyes of protagonist Sandy Beech as he moves from adolescence into adulthood and is ensnared into the obscure world of African witchcraft.
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People who have read The Witch's List have said how they were really drawn into the scary suspense of the story. Some found it so gripping, they read it in a couple of days or even in one sitting!
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"The Witch’s List is a book full of colours and darkness. It transports you into the turbulent world of Sandy Beech, a young man experiencing adulthood with spirit and curiosity. His attraction for exotic women will trap him into unsuspected adventures in Africa. Andrew Cairns has brought off a lively, captivating novel and a unique cultural experience for the reader."
Endorsement from Isabelle Richaud, author of Men in the mirror / L'humanité face au miroir
I met Kiran Desai a few years ago on a park bench in Paris. She humbly described her stunning Man Booker prize-winning novel, The Inheritance Of Loss, as a sad story about different people's lives. I mentioned that I too dabbled in the dark arts of writing, having had a go at anecdotes, short stories and a couple of novellas. She encouraged me to stick in and keep writing. I have now managed to write a novel of my own, and while it may not win The Man Booker prize, I hope you will support me in my writing by reading it and spreading the word.
One of my favourite authors, Tahir Shah, had this to say about The Witch's List:
"Andrew Cairns has written, quite literally, a bewitching novel, one that speaks to an underbelly which lies dormant in us all. The Witch's List bridges our world of convention, with that of a fabulous Twlilight Zone, what may be true reality -- a realm of magic and ultimate possibility. I recommend this book because, behind the smokescreen of simplicity, there lies a masked bedrock of extraordinary power."
Tahir is an inspiring writer, adventurer and filmmaker. His books include The Caliph's House, Sorcerer's Apprentice, In Search Of King Solomon's Mines and Timbuctoo.
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Scotland has a long list of writers, renowned for their imaginative and gripping stories: Robert Louis Stevenson, Walter Scott, J. M. Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle, R. M. Ballantyne, Muriel Spark, Ian Rankin, Irvine Welsh, Iain Banks, Peter May... With your help, maybe one day I can join them!
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This story will suck you in and not let you go until you've read the final page.
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The Witch's List falls loosely into the horror / supernatural genre. Even if you're not usually a big fan of horror, give it a read - the story also covers the universal themes of growing up and cultural clash.
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In 50 days time from tomorrow, The Witch's List will be officially released! I'm planning to do a countdown with 50 reasons to read the book - one per day from tomorrow until the release on 24th June 2016. Please help me drum up as much hype as possible by liking, sharing, and of course buying a copy of the novel!
Thanks a lot,
Andrew
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