About the Book
Kiona, the Maid of the Heart, had a relaxing week before experiencing treachery, heartbreak, and miracles within the quiet forest town of Shenandoah. Nascha from The Great Western Lands had arrived to discover the whereabouts of her proposed future husband, Achak. Now one with Kiona's heart as Levtiqvah, awaking her true self as Tiqvah, the angel who represents Hope. Kiona had also been invited with her friends to attend the ball in Belladina, held by her charitable friend, Princess Roso.
About the Author :
Richard James Haslam is a humble individual who is the author of the Now.Here Saga. Born in Bolton, Greater Manchester on the 2nd April 1989 with High Functioning Autism, he lived with his older brother, Philip, and his parents, Christine and Martin near Horwich for a short time before moving to Whittle-Le-Woods near Chorley, Lancashire, where his childhood there shaped him with events, including TV shows such as The Dreamstone, Animals of Farthing Wood, Watership Down, Redwall, The Wind in the Willows, and other examples that would gradually overtime inspire him to write the Now.Here Saga. He was given an extra year in Nursery after coming down with Meningitis when he was three, and as a result, had a year gap between himself and Philip at Manor Road County Primary School (1995-2001). After Primary School, Richard went to Lostock Hall Community High School and Arts Collage (2001-2006), where throughout that long 11 year road of maturity, his carer, Sally, would help him mature his rebellious childhood and transition him into an adult. After High School and warm goodbyes to Sally, Richard gained more independence in living when attending a disabled boarding college in Wirksworth, Derbyshire called Callow Park, part of the Alderwasley School (2006-2008). After two years of staying with his parents, Richard eventually moved into Townley House in Chorley in June 2010, a disability-living apartment of flats. The ingredients that lead to Now.Here's conception was from that experience of a Born Again Christian. It was also inspired by Bethesda's video games of Skyrim and Fallout 4, Raymond Brigg's When the Wind Blows, and also the ridge and furrow landmarks when he was on his family's narrowboat holiday along the Oxford Canal in 2015. If there are many stories of a Post-Apocalyptic Future. Why not a Post-Apocalyptic Past. Richard's time in Townley House was an enjoyable one at first, but over time, many of the staff left and were replaced, gradually hiring fewer and fewer. 10 years later, in March 2020, Richard moved to Penwortham, near Preston to have a fresh start with Autism Initiative. The timing couldn't have been fortunate, because when Covid-19 struck, Richard was confined within his new home, but unlike his last home, he had a garden and space in the countryside to move about. The elements were now just right for writing Now.Here, and thanks to a college friend who had published his own books with the publisher Pag-e-nation, Richard had his first book published by them, Kiona the Gardenian on 12th October (Now.Here Day). A second, The Retanian Twins, was also in the works for the following year, until complications to the publisher had it delayed and them shutting up shop. After a lot of searching, Richard decided to publish his books through Kindle Direct Publishing in March 2022, merging the first two books into one to create the Kiona the Gardenian book that is now available, with the first half of the story renamed to The Eve of the Heart, while the second half still kept The Retanian Twins name. Richard had also written four more books, which he merged together to become two more books, The Maid of the Heart, and Rubecula & Nascha. Since 2023, his works had already received critical acclaim from Autism Initiative and Blog Preston. His first book, Kiona the Gardenian has been given a 5 - Star rating by Reader' Favorite and Authors Reading. From his childhood dream, to the first drawings of the five girls in 2005, Richard had came a long way of finally fulfilling it in the form of a book saga.
