Teatime At The Gryphon’s Claw

Book excerpt: Washed-up seventies glam rock star and British expat, Harrington Gloss, has been contracted to write a fantasy novel. As the deadline looms, he is at a loss as to how to begin, never having written a novel before in his life. Help arrives when he ducks into the Gryphon’s Claw Cafe one fateful evening. There he meets a prickly rock diva, Kincaid McAllister, and inspiration begins to take hold. The would-be writer embarks on a fantastical tale about a scarred and battle-hardened medieval knight-errant, Sir Fenmar of Raventry, the preeminent warrior of the age. Sir Fenmar is sent on an improbable quest into the Jagged Mountains by Princess Isabella of Castle Splendour. His assignment? To locate a mythical dragon she believes can save the kingdom from a mysterious calamity that has befallen it. So begins a serpentine and scaly saga, which parallels and finally intersects its writer’s own story as it builds to a climax, pitting its heroes against a diabolical evil and impossibly long odds as the fate of the world hangs precariously in the balance. As the hero, Sir Fenmar, is given a final shot at redemption, can his hapless author, Harrington Gloss, find a way to transform his own destiny? “The novel’s unique blend of genres and its charismatic protagonist make it a standout in contemporary fiction.” --The Literary Reporter on Angels’ Keep