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Great Feedback On My “Selected Poems”

I was delighted to receive the following email earlier today:

“Dear Mr Morris,
I am writing to tell you that your poems in “The Collected Poems of K Morris” that you gave me on the train on my way to college are exceptional. You might not remember me but I am the girl doing politics and history that you met on the train and gifted your amazing book to. I have always been interested in writing poems and therefore you have really inspired me to carry on my interest and write some poems of my own. I would really like to thank you for gifting me your book and inspiring me to continue writing”.

The Selected Poems of K. Morris

“The Selected Poems of K Morris” can be found here https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WW8WXPP/ (for the UK), and here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WW8WXPP/. (for amazon.com customers).

(Please note, I have not included the young lady’s name in order to protect her privacy).

Myths and Magic: Saffy’s Secret Quest

My thanks goes to Kevin, who has kindly agreed to take part in my blog tour. Without people like Kevin, it’s so hard to get news of your book out there. So it’s greatly appreciated. And he’s my first stop!

So today, I’d like to bring you news about my second children’s book. It’s due out on the 28th May this year but it’s now available for pre-order. It’s book two in the Saffy’s Secret Quest Series, which I’ve written for 5-7 year olds. Here’s a little bit more about Myths and Magic:

The Blurb:

Saffy has solved the first clue in her quest to save the magical world of Mandoreum from danger. Now it’s time to find the second. 

She isn’t alone. Her new friend, Lily, a dragon from Mandoreum, wants to help. Together they take a trip and uncover special stories and unexpected surprises.

But Saffy soon learns that first appearances are not always what they seem. And plotting in the background is a witch who will do everything she can to stop them…

Opening extract:

Saffy Berry smiled and winked at the little dragon statue on her dressing table. And the statue winked back!

The statue was, in fact, Lily – a real dragon from a magical world called Mandoreum. Lily needed Saffy’s help. Narla, the Queen of the Witches, had stolen Fairy Godfather Freddie’s wand and cast an evil spell, taking away all of Mandoreum’s magic and beauty. But, just before she was able to do so, the Fairy Godfather had managed to cast a counter-spell.

“Lily, I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Saffy’s smile faded as she thought about the counter-spell. She and Lily had to find six clues about dragons in the human world – jewels, a book, play, castle, colour book and toy. As Saffy had discovered, they needed to be solved in order. They had already found the first one, the jewels, which turned out to be two of her necklaces.

The second was a book and, if they succeeded in finding all the clues, Narla would be banished from Mandoreum forever and the magical world would be restored.

“I’ve looked through every single one of my books.” Saffy pointed over to her bookcase, then thought of her annoying younger brother. “And Harry’s books too. All the dragon pictures that should be there aren’t. Instead, the dragons have changed into knights, elves, princes – everything you can think of except a dragon.”

She felt as if she had been searching for ages and yet it had only been yesterday that they had solved the first clue.

Lily thumped her stump of a tail on the dressing table. Saffy knew her tail had once been long and elegant, so she could steer herself gracefully through the air, but that was before Narla’s spell. She looked at her new friend, feeling her frustration. The little dragon had been so excited when they worked out the first clue. Poor Lily’s skin had been covered in bald patches and her scales were hanging down. When they found the necklaces, the scales all came back, and shone once more. And the cracks in Mandoreum’s castle walls mended.

But Lily still had fluffy white balls of cotton wool instead of claws. She didn’t have any teeth, her wings were broken and she couldn’t even breathe the tiniest flame. Of course, she also had that tiny tail – all because of Narla.

If they couldn’t find the book, Mandoreum would remain dull. There wouldn’t be any

flowers, trees or green grass. But, worse than that, Lily, and everyone in Mandoreum, would be the way Narla had left them. Forever.

Author bio:

Esther has been a freelance writer for over twenty-five years, regularly writing articles and short stories for magazines and newspapers such as Writers’ Forum, Writing Magazine, The Guardian, Best of British, The Cat, This England, Yours and The People’s Friend.  

Winner of several competitions, including those run by Writing Magazine and The Global Short Story Contest, she has also had the privilege of judging writing competitions and relished being given the role of head judge of the Writers’ Forum monthly short story competition.

Esther loves writing but equally enjoys helping others, which she achieves in her role as a tutor for The Writers Bureau. Always on the lookout for a new challenge, she is taking the distance learning college over at the end of July.

She has had two how-to books on writing published, with a third due out later this year, as well as two collections of short stories. Her second children’s book is coming out in May, where she writes under the name of Esther Moonstomp.

Blogs: https://estherchilton.co.uk

https://esthermoonstomp.co.uk

 

Buying links:

UK: Paperback: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myths-Magic-Saffys-Secret-Quest/dp/1806342103

Ebook: details to be released.

US: details to be released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Square of Sunlight

I saw a square

Of sunlight fall

On my study wall.

 

 

It is no longer there –

 

 

We all borrow

Each joy and sorrow

Until our square

Vanishes into empty air.

I Feel the Wind

I feel the wind

On my skin

And hear him

Whisper in the trees

Reminding me of you.

 

I go in

And face my darkening window

Were I to die tonight

I would go happy –

 

Yet tomorrow will probably come.

I will walk in sun

Or rain.

Then, returning home again

I will face my window

But not the same

One as tonight

My Publishing Venture

I have some exciting news! With my friend, Alice Liddell, I have established a publishing company.

 

We have just produced our first book, a collection entitled Mirror Verses. The work consists of a series of poems all of which must be read by holding the book up-side-down. There are other publications in the pipeline including a collection penned by a shy young lady (who wishes to remain nameless) who composed a fine collection of flash fiction whilst nude in hotel rooms.

 

At present Hatters and Hares Publishers Ltd does not have a webpage. However, for further information please do ask.

 

Poet Kevin Morris on World Poetry

On Thursday 19th March I hosted a segment on the World Poetry Reading Series World Poetry Cafe March 19 2026 with Kevin Morris by VictorSchwartzman | Mixcloud. During my section of the podcast I read William Wordsworth’s the Solitary Reaper which is one of my favourite poems. In addition, I recited a number of my own poems and talked about my poetry.

 

To listen to the show please follow the above link. My bit starts some 20 minutes into the podcast.

New-Mown Grass

The scent of new-mown grass

Catches me as I pass

By graves in spring.

 

I take delight

In this brief light

As birds sing

Over tombs and grass

Short Walk

When I take the short walk

Through the churchyard, my thought

Often turns

To lessons not learned

And chances spurned.

 

 

And then I turn

To my so ordinary day

And say,

“I will learn!”

 

 

Yet still my way

Remains the same

Treadmill of pleasure and pain.

But my demons will stop

When the devil knocks

Eleanor Rigby Played

Eleanor Rigby played

As I sat at the table.

She was lonely.

Nothing stays.

I too am lonely at times

But rhymes

Keep me company.

 

 

We all must die

Lonely or Otherwise.

Makeup on girl’s eyes

Will not keep

Them from sleep.

And poetry has saved

None from the grave.

 

 

Yet later that same day

A child greeted me

In the cemetery

In early spring

Vera

I met a young lady named Vera

Who said all the people fear her!

I said to Sky,

“Please tell me why?”

She shivered and said, “go ask Vera!”