Guest Post - Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

A journey in to the wandering mind of Azra’s Pith…

I was sort of a space cadet as a kid― always in my own little world. I had stories running through my head all the time. The main presence in all my adventures was this lonely, wandering soul on a never ending journey of great importance.

I never thought about it then, but I’ pretty sure the wandering hero (sort of) was a reflection of me, and the magical adventures I wanted to take. When I read THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis, I turned into a tireless seeker of portals. The thought of entering another realm through my closet was fantastic! The ideas for the Azra’s Pith series were always there, I just never thought to write them down until my son was born. Alexander Drake became crystal clear – he was my wandering hero.

A couple of the characters are loosely based on personalities that have stood out in my life. Of course, I exaggerated or understated them depending on the personality. Beatrice (Alexander’s Grandmother) is based on my grandmother. She lived in an old yellow house in the woods. Some of my fondest childhood memories were created during my visits there. Ferdinand, the fearless hopper, and Julien, the wise and somewhat silly empyrean wizard are both part of my imaginary cast of characters that have been with me for years.

I started out with the intention of writing short stories to read to my son and the series evolved from there. When I finished the final chapter of part one, I already knew how the entire series would unfold. I’m on part three and trying my best to take my time. I don’t know how I will feel when it all ends.