Love fantasy? An invitation to my Book Launch Event Sept 22 2018

An invitation to come to my book launch of Quest. Quest is a real celebration of the fantasy genre, so I decided the launch should be as well. With heaps of fun for all ages.

If you're on Facebook you might like to sign up to the event, or you can just come along, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there.

A.J. Ponder 
PS if the blurb is hard to read  in the image...it's repeated below

If you like Terry Pratchett, The Princess Bride or Diana Wynne Jones' The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, you'll love the latest book by A.J. Ponder:

Sylvalla escapes Avondale castle and the life of a princess, in search of the adventure she’s always wanted.

Once found, adventure bites back.

Fortunately, she is not alone. Unfortunately, her new-found companions are less than heroic. Jonathan would rather make money. Dirk would rather live a long and happy life. And at 150, old Capro would rather stop gallivanting, and harangue unsuspecting wizard students about his glory days over a nice cup of tea.

Quest has everything: heroes, monsters, chases, escapes and a complete lack of true love.  To see more follow this link to my author website. 

Pre order your copy today because it's a great read, and a lot of fun from Wizard's Guide to Wellington author, A.J. Ponder. 

PechaKucha Night and Wizard’s Guide to Wellington, Old St Pauls, 15 Oct 2016

First..apologies for not posting for so long, I've been working on books...

Second... an invitation to PechaKucha Wellington...

I’ve packed my broomstick, sorted through some pictures, and I’m ready to talk at what looks to be a fun event. Most of all I’m looking forward to meeting some of my fans, and of course Jan Wigmore’s speech on Reading the Brain for Learning. and all the other presenters.

PechaKucha is a global series of live events where people can meet, inspire and get inspired, based on a format that is fast-paced and fun. PechaKucha Night (PKN) Wellington features up to 14 presenters that delight and inspire with their narratives using a specific format where each person speaks to 20 images for 20 secs/image. Total presentation time: 6 mins & 40 secs.
Get your ticket here, or at Old St Pauls on the night.

Confirmed presenters for PechaKucha Night Wellington @ Old St Paul’s include:

Pete O’Connell // Rhysonic: Acoustic music with power tools
Rebecca Rice // Artists in Wonderland // Curator all things arty and historical at Te Papa //
Lindsay Smith // Richter City: A decade of Wellington Derby // Skanda Lass //
Graham Bathgate // A Centenarian Remembers
Pinaman Owusu-Banahene // ABSOLUTELY ADJOAA // The Accidental Creative Entrepreneur
Jan Wigmore // Reading the Brain for Learning //
Anya Satyanand // Divine Inspiration: Te Aho Tapu //
Mandi Lynn // What the Fark is a Chakra // Master Photographer & Mojo Midwife //
 Joe O’Callaghan // Roaming Robots //
A.J. Ponder//Wizard’s Guide to Wellington //
Diego Saez Ibarzabal // Ex Tenebris In Lucem (From Darkness into light) // Architect & Lighting Designer//
To find out more go to www.facebook.com/pechakucha.welly or see www.pechakucha.org for information about PechaKucha Nights in over 900 cities around the world.
Have fun…

A.J.

Ring in the New Year

Ring in the New Year with coffee, and resolutions to be lazy and get more done.

To that end I hope you enjoy my 22 Reasons Living in Wellington will Ruin Your Life

It's at http://wizardsguide.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/22-reasons-living-in-wellington-will-ruin-your-life/ and starts with: Because whatever the weather, or the disaster…blue skies are always just around the corner...

I hope you enjoy Wellington! And of course the amazing promise of a New Year :)

A.J.

Watch out for Wizard’s Guide to Wellington

Warning! Wizard’s Guide to Wellington is now available on  Kindle (am aff link), Wide, and on Ko-fi 

Yes, you no longer need to be in New Zealand to explore the magic of Wellingtowne. All you have to do is pop over to Amazon to order yourself and your friends a copy of this family friendly adventure.

Enjoy!

A.J.

Wizard's Guide to Wellington

Alec finds a magical book, “The Wizard’s Guide to Wellingtowne,” lying in the corridor of Wellington Airport. But it doesn’t help answer his questions. Where is his father? Where is Perrin, the mysterious English cousin they were supposed to be meeting? And, most importantly, am I going mad, or is someone playing practical joke?

Perrin arrives at “Wellingtowne Airport” only to discover, Ike, her cantankerous wizarding guide had disappeared. She has been warned abut the dangerous city of “Wellingtowne,” but when she sets out to find her missing uncle, she has no idea just how dangerous it is going to get.

“Bad men watch you.”

Two cousins from different worlds must rescue Wellington from wizards who wish wake a very dangerous taniwha. (If you're not from New Zealand, a taniwha could be best described as a dragon, not so much a modern dragon, but an old fashioned wyrm, and this one is more than troubling because it is the size of a mountain...)

 

 

I'd love to be able to afford to get back into poetry, and you can help by supporting me on  me back into writing poetry by supporting me on ko-fi here. Drop in, tell me what you'd be excited to see from me next, or just say hello, here.

 

 

L(o)st by A.J. Ponder

L(o)st 

Mssng,

Sme tny dtls

Y wldn't ntce

ftr ll

Prntly thy'r nt

Nccssry

Svd p

Fr rny dys

nd lst n th nt

There we are, my lovelies - make what sense of that you will - I'm really forward to making some time tonight - or even earlier to peruse the lovely Tuesday Poem poets  right here on the Tuesday Poem link site.

 And some bookkeeping - for those who aren't aware - it's NaPoWriMo, and

NZ 2013 National Flash Fiction Day Competition submissions are now open!  (close 31 May!)

 Oh yes, and Wizard's Guide to Wellington is having a Giveaway on Goodreads - so why not see if you can get a copy for free?  

Cheers,

and have a fantastic week :)

cheers,
A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.

Come one, come all - to my book launch!!!!! 6.30 Thurs 14 Feb

yes, it's a bit late
No it's never too late - a week away - plenty of time to shake off the end of holiday blues and make your life just that little bit more magic

6.30 Thurs 14 Feb
151 Muritai Rd
Eastbourne
Lower Hutt

Be there - and watch out for trolls!!!  No - hopefully they'll all be in the museum and turned to stone - but we can't make any promises about the taniwha...

A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.

Did you hear the Fanfare? Fill your holiday with magic (and a copy of my new book!)

Wizard's Guide to Wellington

Yes that right - it's all very exciting some time last week my book "Wizard's Guide to Wellington" hit the bookshelves in Wellington, and for that mighty effort I would love to thank my distributors Greene Phoenix, and my dad, they both managed to get the ball rolling without me so the books are now available in many of the independent bookstores in Wellington and online.  Hooray!

So where have I been?  And when is the launch.  Due to extenuating circumstances there is not going to be a launch as such.  What will happen is Rona Gallery is going to be putting on an art competition with the theme "The Magic of Wellington" 6.30, 14 February 2013.  There will also be signed and numbered copies available as soon as I can organize my way out of a paper bag. Still, now my daughter is out of hospital, and things seem to be on the mend, I'm still expecting to make a come back to the Tuesday Poem blog for the New Year.

Until then Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and best wishes to you all, cheers,


A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus, Arty Bees and good Wellington bookstores.

(paid link)

The Magic of Wellington & The Middle of Middle Earth

Just when the magic of Wellington is becoming a bit of an obsession - what should happen but Wellington transmogrifies into the Middle of Middle Earth - must have been because two advance copies of "Wizard's Guide to Wellington" turned up in the post.

ps Ike and the Wizard's Guide to Wellington can be found here http://wizardsguide.wordpress.com/ with WAY MORE photographs of Wellington in the middle of Hobbit fever (including Red Carpet)
 
A.J.
A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.

An appreciation of action soundtracks in suburbia

The car is

carrying an orchestra

out

on a mission.

Excitement tumbles by

on the beach

on the beleaguered wharf

                                    in the air -

even the birds find new purpose

        as they      strike

into the clouds

eyes peeled

in wonder

as even the sea is

ruffled,

nervous,

opaque,

unsure             

with impending danger.

Across the harbour

buildings

hide

behind cloud,

planes disappear

and  reappear

as we drive                 

in time

to heroically  

face

                          danger

every vital

second

                       until the   

 final triumphant overtones

transport us

                         all the way               
                                          to                 
                                             Wellington. 
A.J. Ponder 

 A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores