Jack says magic is illegal and dangerous. But he won't say why. Nobody will. All Zelie knows is that something happened long ago that changed everything, and now the secrets are hidden behind the twisted fence. There are rumours of course: of giants, witches, and other made up things. But magic is real enough. She's even seen Jack using it sometimes. So it can't be that bad, can it? Zelie can't tolerate the mystery any longer and decides to climb the twisted fence.
In her quest for answers, Zelie discovers the lighter side of magic and befriends some unlikely companions. At the same time, she accidentally re-awakens the giant along with an evil force that threatens every child in the village with a life of slavery. Now Zelie's only option is to learn the forbidden ways of magic and use her wits and new friendships to save her family and bring freedom back to the villagers.
James Hewison was born in Darwin, on the north coast of Australia. When he was two years old, he survived a deadly sting from a box jellyfish. It should have been frightening but instead, it ignited a fascination for danger and adventure.
James spent his childhood swimming in crocodile inhabited waters, discovering extreme sports, and accumulating scars in other death-defying activities. When he wasn't risking his own life, he loved reading and writing about people who were. He fell in love with fiction because the possibilities were limitless.
But he had to get serious, or so everybody said. So he put aside fiction in pursuit of a 'real job'. He finished a degree in pharmacy and another in business and began working full-time but the work just didn't feel right.
A few years on, James and his wife had two wonderful children. Soon, they began to enjoy stories and none more so than the tales that he conjured out of his mind at bedtime. Every night he told them new stories, weaving in new excitement and quirky twists. The children went to sleep but, at the same time, James's passion was waking up from its slumber.
When James's daughter was eight years old, she asked him to write a story so she could have it anytime, not just at bedtime. He thought five pages ought to be enough, but ideas wouldn’t stop popping into his head. The story he wrote became his first novel, Behind the Twisted Fence.
James fell in love with writing and decided to do it full time. He currently writes in Adelaide, South Australia and travels with his family at least annually to places far and wide.
If you like page-turning stories with strong characters and satisfying endings, go to jameshewison.com for more.