Guest Post by Corinne Foster, Author of Secret of the Phoon

 

 The Secret of the Phoon

by Corinne Foster

Faced with certain death, Avira has to protect herself by summoning the Phoon, a long-secret and deadly supernatural force. Can she keep the Phoon safe from the two opposing powers who now race to challenge her for it, and when will she realize that the bigger threat lies from within her own community of outcast girls?

Secret of the Phoon – The Inspiration

by Corinne Foster

For me it started with the woods. I love woods and find them inspiring places to walk and think.

I decided my woods needed to be black – black trunks, branches, leaves and roots. They have a presence all of their own and I liked the idea of the trees having a kind of consciousness where they are able to help or hinder. The Black Woods in the book are either a friend or foe, depending on who is within them.

And it’s the woods that hide the Phoon, the secret supernatural force that is the main focus of the story. The Phoon live in the woods, but in a kind of another parallel time, so you wouldn’t come across them while out for a walk. But you would sense they were there. 

At the beginning of the book, the Phoon have been kept a secret for many years – because if the power of them was known and fell into the wrong hands, uncontained, it could easily mean the end of the world. But Avira is forced into summoning them and the rest of the story is set in motion.

It is always the leader of the Unloved – Avira at the time of this book – who summons the Phoon to defend the woods or the house where the Unloved live. But who are the Unloved? This is the group of which Avira is leader, formed by girls and women who have been shunned by their families, or who choose to live away from them.  

They live in a house called Domina. The word ‘Domina’ comes from old English law, and it refers to a title formerly given to noble ladies who held a barony in their own right – so they don’t get the title (such as Queen or Baroness) from being married to a man with one. That seemed appropriate to a house that, because of its history, is very hostile to men.

Domina is very important to the story too and was inspired by many old houses in my youth. I love those really old buildings that you know have seen so much during their existence. I have always been in awe of the Tower of London, particularly the White Tower – what it has looked over since it was built (starting in the year 1070)! Domina stands on the edge of the woods and it’s been there as long as anyone can remember (not unlike the White Tower). In fact, the house is probably the strongest character in the book! It’s austere, strong, commanding. The Unloved have lived there for hundreds of years, and their existences are intertwined.

Although the house is full of women, this is not a nunnery. They are free to leave if they want, and to visit the local town to sing and dance with the local lads.  It’s here that Shastia, one of the Unloved, meets the man who will take her away from Domina, and where her experiences with other men outside of Domina will shape her future, with repercussions for everyone. 

‘Secret of the Phoon’ is available currently only as an e-book, and you can find it on Amazon/Kindle, Goodreads, iBooks and Smashwords. 

I love to hear from readers, and you can reach me at any of the below!

Corinne’s blog: http://corinnefosterblog.wordpress.com/

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