MY STORY

The Gates of Azulia is a fantasy novel and project I have been working on for over 15 years. Since I was 8 years old, I have been writing stories and using my imagination to create strange and wondrous worlds. Through much of my childhood, I lived in different places around the world,  met many different people, experienced and explored different cultures stories. No matter how much I travelled, fantasy books, TV shows, and games gave me a sense of escapism and wonder. Every story, world, tale and character I discovered through consuming a wide range of fantasy has guided and shaped my imagination and writing style to where it is today.

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When I was 10 and 11 years old, I completed NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program (YWP). This experience was wonderful and I published The Gates of Azulia and The Gates of Azulia: Boonta, the First Gate as rewards for completing the challenges. These books are no literary masterpieces and ended up being LOTR fanfictions to an extent. After writing Boonta, the First Gate, I realised that I wanted to create a new fantasy world unlike any that has come before. I spent around 8 years world-building, planning and talking to create a world and story I was proud of.

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At 27, I have spent thousands of hours writing, editing, working with editors, and having my story brought to life through the incredible art of Luciano J. Carreira. 

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Writing has always been a big hobby and love of mine. Whether it's the 2am eureka moments, or being accompanied (and often supervised) by my 2 cats, Kinnikinnick (Kida) and Ori, I have loved each and every moment of this story. No matter what happens here, I will continue writing and creating.

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As someone who is passionate about art and design, it is important for each creative element to be created by a human. No AI has or ever will be used as part of this project. AI is a powerful tool I respect and see the benefits of, however, The Gates of Azulia strives to give you a sense of awe and wonder while reading – a sense of discovery as you experience a world that has never been created before. In a world of remixes and re-imaginations, my aim has always been to make a uniquely human story, even if there are no humans in the stories.