Guest Blog Post from Mark Jones author of Rita Wong and The Jade Mask

  September 2021, Everything With Words, 304 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Book Summary from Everything With Words

Rita Wong leads an ordinary existence sipping hot chocolate in Morecambe. That is until a dragon called Lester Thyme crosses her path. He leads her to a place known as Neon City where the streets are dark with magic. Between the two of them, Lester and Rita become detectives for hire. Their case involves stolen goods, and will see them meet femme fatales, crime bosses and a whole host of monsters. Although amateurs in the crime detection business, Rita and Lester will need to learn fast if they want to survive the week. 

Nayu's thoughts

The review is coming up tomorrow but today check out some background history behind events and people in Rita Wong and the Jade Mask by Mark Jones

 

Untapped Potential: Lester Thyme and Morecambe by Mark Jones

 

Mark

During the summer of twenty seventeen, I embarked on a railway tour of the UK. Most of the places were old family favourites which I had not seen in quite a while. One stood out in my mind before I even arrived there.

            Morecambe, on the northwest coast of England, endlessly fascinates me. It has an incredible collection of Art Deco buildings, the Midland Hotel being the most striking. Morecambe Bay also has a fabulous view of the Lakeland Fells. As a spectacle, the bay is both ethereal and rich. Even on a misty day, the scenery can cast a hypnotic spell.

            The sad thing is that Morecambe is not well known. As a small seaside town, it has yet to see its golden age. Today, it looks slightly run down. As a result, the property market is cheap. I am happy to say the situation is changing. Particularly as I never understood how such a little diamond had been missed.

            When I sat down to rewrite Rita Wong and the Jade Mask, I realised I needed a location that could be a metaphor for Lester Thyme. As one of the heroes of the story, Lester has never had the break he deserved. He’s worked a series of dead-end jobs for very little money. The bank account he has is drying up, and there’s no pension scheme coming to save him.

            On a whim, Lester decides to visit an old childhood holiday spot. Hoping to regain his youth, he gazes at the bay. Looking into the waters, he watches a narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore, slicing through the breaking waves. To Lester, the powerful riptides symbolise time running out.

            Just like Morecambe, Lester Thyme has untapped potential. But he’s been overlooked. The clothes on his back are cheap and his accommodation is run down. Even with all the belt-tightening, Lester’s still struggling to pay his rent and move forward. In a depression, he’s decided the music has stopped and his friends have left the party.

            Lester, nearing the end of his losing streak, has forgotten that he’s clever, friendly, handsome, and reliable. But all is not lost. All it takes for Lester’s luck to change is one person who can see the dormant talents within him. Perhaps for Lester Thyme and Morecambe, their untapped potential will soon be discovered?

 

RITA WONG AND THE JADE MASK by Mark Woods is out now in paperback (£7.99, Everything with Words)

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