The Celestial Sea Voyages

“How blessed are we, to sail upon this Celestial Sea, in thought and deed and desire, such rare and joyful harmony. Should we be afraid to travel, just ourselves, to Heavenly Realms where we can be free? Deep in embrace, all of you and all of me -- softly -- gently -- quietly”--

This is the story of an English housewife and mother and an artistic Kiwi man: musician, woodsman and teacher who find themselves embracing life in the Southern Hemisphere in the most unexpected and extraordinary way. Plucked from the bosom of all she has ever known: her British homeland, parents and siblings, her friends and small businesses built up over years, she finds herself exploring the beautiful land of Aotearoa, New Zealand, in the company of a thrilling companion whose own settled, community life is challenged by the arrival of a surprising new friend.

Unaware for many months of their double life, her husband and family, and his school colleagues and community, become involved in the shocking and often-hilarious adventures that make up their ‘ordinary’ routines. From house hunting to supermarket outings, lesson planning to play-production, and from trips away to School Festivals the world these two, highly creative friends imagine for themselves begins to take on a real presence in all their lives.

The unfolding, lively months take their creative liaison into a clandestine love affair of epic proportion, surprising them both by its spiritual truth. Angel-held and integrity challenged they walk a daily fine-line between blessing and disaster. Dare they merge their growing affection into an everyday reality? From the Castle on the Mountain, (the family home), to the Leafy Glade in the Forest, (his lodgings on the edge of town), from the School Chalkboard to the Beckoning Ocean, and from the Garden Gate to the Rhythmic Dance, Lord Swallow and his Lady find themselves escaping to the tranquillity of their imaginary Boat, ‘The Celestial Sea’, sailing for many months in uncharted waters and alighting upon shores of such passion and sensuality that they threaten to capsize and cause an almighty scandal in the harbour.

The story hangs on the recorded text messaging of this intrepid couple and is full of descriptive passage, poetry, and increasing, sensual lyric. The tale culminates in their untimely escort back to harbour where the Marine Officials dry-dock their precious Boat behind locked gates. By this time, Lord Swallow and his Lady have realized their irredeemable love for one another; the profundity and chemistry of their connection leading to a tragic ending of unrequited love -- or is it an ending? Find out in the subsequent stories entitled: ‘Dry-Dock’, ‘Setting Sail’, ‘Calm Waters’, ‘No Horizon?’ ‘Kookaburra On The Deck’, ‘Time Is The Brake’ and a second series of three books titled: ‘The Ships Wheel’, ‘Into The Mist’, and ‘Land Ahoy.