It follows the story of eleven year old Thomas Parkinson and his sister, Suzy, who spend a summer vacation with Uncle Fibber, an ex fisherman who lives at Sneaky Cove. After listening to one of his scary stories, Thomas and Suzy reenact his sea-faring adventure on the nearby beach and find a dolphin trapped inside the wreck of an old fishing trawler. But they soon realize that they've invoked an evil curse that has banished their beloved uncle into the never-ending darkness. So they are compelled to find the only person able to break the evil curse. Trouble is Victoria von Vampire loves to boil kids in her Coffin Pot Stew.



The Idea

The idea for Archy the Flying Dolphin & the Vampire's Curse came to me one day, lazing in the garden with my ginger cat, Archie. In my mind's eye I saw a beautiful dolphin flying through the sky with two children sitting on its back, engulfed in a crystallized blue bubble. I simply wondered?what would enable a dolphin to fly? Is he a superhero? Where could they be going? What sort of adventure could they experience? Who would stop them achieving their goals? The ideas simply overflowed and the initial concept came to me in a nutshell. Primarily I wanted to write a children's book designed to be full of fun, excitement and danger. I wanted children to be able to escape into a fantasy world where they'd hopefully enjoy the experience and come to think of Archy as their new best friend ever.

I wish!.. I wish!.. I wish!

At the beginning of the story Thomas is desperate for some excitement in his life. At eleven years old he truly believes his entire life has been one long continuous bore. So he closes his eyes, holds his breath and?makes a wish. The fact that his sister, Suzy, constantly reminds Thomas that he should be very careful what he wishes doesn't seem to sway his yearning, or his actions. But maybe Thomas should have listened to his sister's words of wisdom. Oh, it's true, Thomas does get his wish. He ends up having the most exciting adventure ever and meets lots of colorful lifelong friends - but at a cost. Thomas embarks on a mission where he must confront the most powerful forces of evil and where his life is constantly on the line. Next time, maybe Thomas will think twice before he makes another wish?

Curiosity

When Uncle Fibber warns Thomas and Suzy not to let curiosity get the better of them, they believe he's just trying to scare them with his wicked sense of humor. But they're not sure. There is a possibility that maybe, just maybe'he could truly believe that curiosity is a tool that evil uses to lure its prey. And when they play on the nearby beach and reenact one of Uncle Fibber's scary stories, they find the wreck of an old fishing trawler. Of course, curiosity gets the better of them. They cannot resist the temptation to take just one little peak through its deck. But they soon realize that they've invoked an evil curse where their beloved uncle has been banished into the never-ending darkness.