Tales of Tanglewood now on Kindle

“What Do I Read After Harry Potter?” The Answer Now Available on the Kindle

Shortly after the release of the last Harry Potter novel, hundreds of thousands of readers with an appetite for more magical adventures were left asking “What do I read next?”

The Spiderwick Chronicles filled the void for younger readers, and Eragon sustained many in the young adult market, as did the Twilight series. But as those captivating novels and other series have also come to an end, or will not release any new additions for quite some time, there remains a void that still needs to be filled.

Enter The Tales of Tanglewood. Written by Long Island author Scott Michael Kessman, The Tales of Tanglewood: The Lon Dubh Whistle is the first in a new series of fantasy/folklore adventures surrounding a boy named Colin and his magical connection to a place called Tanglewood.

Tales of Tanglewood: The Lon Dubh Whistle melds together influences of Celtic and Irish mythology with modern-day folklore. Within its pages, readers will find the adventures of Colin, a child who is fully aware of the hidden world of myth and wonder hiding within the woods just beyond his home, long kept secret by old magic. Only the fey magic which runs through his veins has enabled him to find what others cannot; the Tanglewood, the wood within the woods. Full of odd characters and fey beings, the Tanglewood is a world of magnificent folklore come to life.

Several reviewers of The Tales of Tanglewood have likened it to Harry Potter and other popular fantasy series, recommending it as a suitable follow-up:

“How many of us were so involved with Harry Potter and his world that we were sad to come to the end of Book 7…There are so many fantastic series being published today. But which one to choose? The Tales of Tanglewood, I believe, is such a series.” – C. Aphrodite Spanos

“The descriptions paint a beautiful picture of Tanglewood and its creatures and there is plenty of the magical beauty that tends to enchant younger readers in the first place (you know, that same sort of magical beauty that drew us all into Harry Potter, except here it is the intrigue that grabs those younger readers).” - Shaun Duke "Arconna"

"Tales of Tanglewood" brought me the same type of enjoyment that I had when I was first introduced to Harry Potter. – Anonymous review

“It would not surprise me if this book became a cherished tale like that of Eragon.” – Ashley Sinatra

The Tales of Tanglewood: The Lon Dubh Whistle is available in most bookstores and online stores such as Amazon.com, and is now available on the Amazon Kindle as well, for a low introductory cost of $3.99.

The website, located at www.talesoftanglewood.com, includes additional information about the books and characters, and allows visitors to download the first three chapters of the first book, as well as the first three chapters of the second novel, due out in the latter part of 2009.

The Faerie Fort

Exploring the green countryside amongst the rolling hills of County Kerry in Ireland, we stumbled by what appeared to be a Faerie Fort; a large, circular grouping of trees, in which the fey were said to reside.

The Faerie Fort was surrounded by a tall barrier of thick undergrowth, easily deterring any who would seek entry, ans we would have likely continued back home had I not spotted what appeared to be a rather small opening. It was nearly cloaked in shadow, as the sun was beginning to set, but dared invitation, and we were both of a mind to oblige it.

Upon first pushing my head through the opening, I was greeted by a sight that was at once magical as at was surprising. Ireland is green, to be sure, but within the Faerie Fort, the colors were lush and vibrant, and the air was thick with a mysterious, magical essence that sent ripples of excitement circulating through my veins.

I pushed the rest of the way through and called for my wife to follow. Together, we stood within what could only be described as fairytale wonderland. The entire floor was a thick carpet of bright green clover, and thin vines wrapped their creeping tendrils up the lengths of the trees. We walked softly, breathing deep the fresh scents of the earth and the trees.

There was no discernible path to be found with the faerie fort, but the grouping of the trees formed sort of a spiral. If we were to have followed their subtle direction, it would have undoubtedlty led us to the center.

But within the Faerie Fort, it was rapidly growing dark, as the canopy of leaves overhead let little of the remaining sunlight through to light our way. It was as though the fey were teasing us, daring us to try to navigate our way through the Faerie Fort in the coming darkness. Suspiciously, the battery in our video camera began blinking a warning that it was about to expire, defying our attempt to film the magical beauty of this strange environment.

Reluctantly, we decided to take our leave of the place while scant light remained, but our exit was not without incident. A long, sharp thorn drew blood from the finger of my wife. Was it a warning? Or perhaps payment for a wish that was made within the fort?

One day, we shall return to County Kerry and the Faerie Fort, and walk to the center, to see what secrets lay under the protection of the fey, and what magic will ultimately be revealed.


The floor of the Faerie Fort covering with a carpet of clover

A night image of the Faerie Fort, just before the rising of the moon and the arrival of the fey...