This, That and The Other : The Web Novel : IMPORTANT Announcement

If you are already a free subscriber on Substack, thank you for showing your support!

Allow me to apologise for my lack of finesse with that platform. I’ll try to explain where I am and what to expect going forward on Substack – and it would be wonderful if you choose to come along for the ride. The writer’s journey can be a lonely one, but it doesn’t have to be. Nowadays, with interactive platforms, the readers can play a more active role with comments and questions. I’d love to be part of something like that! 

This, That, and The Other is my epic Web Novel currently publishing on Substack with a new chapter every fortnight. This is where my heart lies, what I’m enthused by the most, and what will become part of any meaningful literary legacy I create. My fantasy fiction is what I consider to be my ‘serious writing’, with considered narrative structures, character development propelled by the dynamics of their experiences, carefully planned pacing, meticulous research and attention to the craft. This is where you may see evidence of my MA in Creative Writing, though I really hope not as any ‘technique’ should be subtle enough to remain invisible.

On the other hand, I write articles about art, film and folklore which I publish on Medium. So if that’s the content you’re enjoying here, please consider subscribing to Medium where I will continue to add to the 600 or so articles I have already published there. Most of what I write is historical and contextual critique that has a long shelf life and often gains relevance with age. With a Medium membership, you don’t just get my writings but also have access to all the other content hosted on that proudly egalitarian platform. 

Read Remy on Medium

On Substack, I will wind-down publishing much else except my ongoing Web Novels, which have been written with constant guidance from my creative consultant and first reader, Zel Cariad. The overall arc is planned as a nine volume work and ‘book one’ is already nearing its cliff-hanger climax. This first part will remain free to read for those who have yet to discover and join the magical adventures of Rietta and Carla. 

Paid subscriptions will be switched on this Summer Solstice and chapters publishing afterward will be paywalled. I have made this decision because the story has value, in both entertainment and cultural terms, and I believe it worthy of support to ensure its continuance. I will also be adding special content for subscribers, delving into the historical, geographical, and folkloric origins behind the story, and profits from subscriptions will go into funding this new bonus content.

If you are a free subscriber on 21st June 2026 you will be offered a very special, significantly reduced subscription rate. If this is something you would like to take advantage of, please make sure you have subscribed to the correct Substack feed for This, That and The Other: 

HERE [https://threerealms.substack.com/]

So, again, thank you for your support so far. I sincerely hope you continue supporting and sharing the epic adventure of Rietta and Carla, after all, things are only just getting started and I know there’s plenty of excitement, beauty, surprises, peril and fun yet to come.

“You have more power than you know.”

Hope to be seeing you - on the flipside!

With kind regards and appreciation,

Remy Dean  

back covers of the (out of print) first editions in paperback, published by The Red Sparrow Press, with one of my character concept sketches on each showing (left-right) Scrufty, Jack, Smugly, Lucky.

This, That and The Other

A fantasy trilogy written by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad, This, That and the Other, is imaginative storytelling on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. A modern fable inspired by fairy tales and folklore, in the tradition of The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia...

IMPORTANT: Please note that there has been no Gen-AI involvement whatsoever in the creative process and writing of these web novels.

“Highly readable... The characters are great and the sense of magic is very real.”
- Lu Hersey (author of Deep Water)

They say, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” right? Well, of course that’s not really true. They also say, “Knowledge is power.” Well that’s not always true either… because, somewhere between not knowing and knowing, there lies imagination. That’s the key… the key that unlocks secrets.

It did, once upon a time, and it still does today…

“This is a delight to read. A lovely depiction of friendship and of course there’s magic involved!”
- Kim Vertue (author of Welcome to the Dragon Café)

It began a long time ago, but for Rietta, it really began when she met Carla, another very special and extraordinary person, and realised that they shared the same dreams.

Or perhaps it all started when Rietta and Carla found the severely injured dog in the woods, becoming firm friends as they tried to nurse it back to health and happiness.

Then there was the thing that they glimpsed watching them from the shadows, and the mystery of the missing standing-stone… but when they find the key to another realm, well, then things really start happening!

“Imaginative Fantasy at its best... Wonderful work. Heartily recommended.”

- David Williams (author of the Ken Frane adventures)

This, That, and The Other by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad is published in the UK by The Red Sparrow Press which also manages global rights. All rights reserved.

Why subscribe on Substack?

Firstly, it is more important than ever to support independent creatives and your support will not only be hugely appreciated, but will send a clear message and go some way to help ensure human-driven creativity remains championed in literature.

Secondly, it is my intention to add notes about the folklore and local histories that had inspired and informed the writing of these novels. This bonus material will be added in the notes and comments sections and will only be available to paid subscribers.

Subscribe to get full access to the web novel as it publishes and publication archives.

P.S. Any illustrators or graphic novel creators interested in collaboration?
Please feel free to get in touch.

THIS is complete!

This Part Four : This Fair Land, Wherein Dreams and Magics Meet is now published and concludes Book One of This, That and The Other.

This parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad

PART FOUR : THIS FAIR LAND, WHEREIN DREAMS & MAGICS MEET

Time is running out.

After their narrow escape from the besieged Citadel, Rietta and Carla must finally fulfill their promise to the Fair Ones. Using powerful magics stolen from the Elfyn empire, they seek to protect the Three Realms by reciting an ancient and dreadful spell...

They soon learn that things are not as they expected. As hopes of their safe return home are consumed in fire and darkness, the girls realise that there are dire consequences. Now, more than ever, they must rely on each other and the magical friends they have made on their journey.

But is everyone who they appear to be in the final, thrilling instalment of This?

This That and the Other is imaginative fantasy, on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. It is a modern fable inspired by fairy tales and folklore whilst remaining relevant to today's most important issues, in the tradition of The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia…

All of This is now available in paperback and e-book formats published by

  The Red Sparrow Press 

readers who are new to This can join the adventures of Rietta and Carla below
🡇

THIS part 3 is OUT NOW - the fantastic adventures of Rietta and Carla continue!

This month This, part three is published by The Red Sparrow Press. 
You can catch up with parts one and two in this previous post HERE...

This That and the Other is imaginative fantasy, on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. It is a modern fable inspired by fairy tales and folklore, in the tradition of children's classics like The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia… and suitable for all who love magical adventures.

This, the first three installments are now available from amazon, book shops and your local library

Here is the blurb from the back cover:

PART THREE : THIS CITADEL, WHEREIN THE ELFYN ROYAL RESIDE

The Elfyn Citadel is a place of magics and mysteries that Rietta and Carla are eager to explore.

The handsome young Prince takes a special interest in them as they begin to unlock their own magical powers using talismans, spells, wands and ancient books of stone that they alone can open. It all seems so much like a fairy tale, until the terrifying King of Bones pays a visit and the girls are coerced into hunting a unicorn.

As the Mumblebone menace grows, they discover that everyone seems to hide a secret. It becomes increasingly hard to tell friend from foe and soon the girls realise they are in far greater danger than they ever imagined.

You can preview and purchase This part three on amazon HERE
...also available as an e-book and free on Kindle Unlimited HERE

Part four is set to follow later this year and is expected to be released in both e-book and tree-book formats - watch this space... and if it is not too much to ask, do help to spread the word - you can tweet @RedSparrowPress and let them know that you enjoyed the books, and you could post a little review on amazon or on GoodReads. A really BIG "thank you" to those who have already done that! Those reviews really do help small indie publishers like The Red Sparrow and their authors, like me!

All the very best for 2020 !

UPDATE

This (part 3) is now available 

HERE - as an e-book

and as a paperback - HERE

2019 That Was...

...so, looking back on the year, it seemed a bit 'front-loaded', starting off with three major creative projects: YMYL-2-EDGE was already underway and bridged nicely from 2018 into 2019 with my mentoring of nine artist-makers as they innovated their practice by exploring cutting-edge tech at Pontio's fabLAB in Bangor, culminating in the exhibition and associated programme of events - you can remind yourself of all that entailed HERE...

Then there was the Lead Creative Schools Project at Rhos Street School, in Ruthin, which I helped to facilitate, mostly 'behind-the-scenes' this time as the Arts Council of Wales Creative Agent. I think it went really well and developed naturally from initial concept to final outcomes with the pupil group really taking ownership and steering it all to success with the expert guidance of our Creative Practitioner, Elfin Bow - if you want to see what I consider to be a great example of Creative Learning through the Arts watch the short video below, and if you want to know more about what the Lead Creative Schools initiative is achieving, then you can read all about it HERE...

Around the same time, I was also taking part in a major 'artists takeover' at Plas Bodfa (more on that HERE) and producing work for my solo exhibition INTER⁁VERBA as part of the BBC Get Creative Festival and incorporating a Pop-Up Museum with Storiel at Blaenau Ffestiniog Library and Oriel Maenofferen Gallery. Some of the work premiered as part of that exhibition is now featured in the selected archive of Art Projects HERE, or click on the thumbnails below for some examples...

 

The Red Sparrow Press published the first two parts of THIS in paperback and then the latter portions of the year were mostly consumed by writing and restructuring the 'final' installments (see top of this post). Illustrations for THIS were featured in the exhibition 'Folklore and Fairy Tales of North Wales' at Oriel Ty Meirion (see previous post HERE) and the books were a focus of several creative workshops and storytelling appearances at the wonderful RSPB Conwy... where there were badges!

...and talking of badges - I was chuffed to be recognised with a 'Top Writer in Art' virtual 'badge' for my work editing, and writing for, The Signifier, an arts publication for the Medium platform - you can check that out HERE 

Wales and its Fairy-tales at Oriel Ty Meirion

A selection of prints featuring my illustrations for This, That and The Other are currently on show in a mixed exhibition at Oriel Ty Meirion Gallery, Dyffryn Ardudwy, one of the most exciting small galleries in Wales. The show, which runs until 5 January 2020, has the theme of 'Folklore and Fairy Tales of North Wales'.

[Check gallery website for opening times and to plan your visit.]

Folklore and Fairy Tales of North Wales at Oriel Ty Meirion Gallery
a magical, mixed selection of superior quality art including prints and paperbacks by Remy Dean
...that lovely ceramic starling in the middle is by local potter, Jane Williams

My prints are a signed and numbered edition and you can also browse and purchase paperbacks of my current epic fairy-tale fantasy, This Part 1 and This Part 2, as well as my spooky short horror novel, Final Bough, a contemporary tale of the supernatural with a traditional twist, set against the legend-rich landscape of Snowdonia and inspired by local folklore.

You can read some of my relevant articles online at Folklore Thursday HERE

Folklore Talk, Storytelling and Book Signing Event

Oriel Ty Meirion, 21 November 2019

free event, but booking required

Event Programme

1. THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER - an introduction to the Folklore of the Three Realms 

"A lot of folklore is concerned with other realms. Worlds that exist apart, yet overlap or interact to varying degrees. It is this aspect that aligns many features of myth, folklore and religion around the terrestrial realm we all share… and the idea of the Three Realms has been repeatedly explored through stories, art, psychology, and now the existence of separate realities is widespread in scientific thought. Why does the belief in the Three Realms persist so prominently across multiple cultures spread far and wide, geographically and historically?"

2. THE FOUND HOUND - retelling a traditional Fairy-Story of Wales 

"How you care for any animal in need is one way the Fair Ones of Wales judge you & decide whether to bestow epic curses or life changing luck.

3. CHATS and BOOK SIGNINGS

THIS parts 1 and 2 OUT NOW in Paperback

This week saw two new paperback editions of This, parts one and two, published by The Red Sparrow Press. This comes after much anticipation and slowly building sales of the exclusive e-books on Amazon. So, thank you to all who have already purchased the first two parts of This for Kindle, or read them on Kindle Unlimited, for making This possible...

This, That and the Other Book One: THIS (Parts One and Two)
 by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad 

This That and the Other is imaginative fantasy, on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. It is a modern fable inspired by fairy tales and folklore, in the tradition of children's classics like The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia… and suitable for all who love magical adventures.

Here are the blurbs from the back covers:

PART ONE : THAT REALM, WHEREIN WE HUME DO DWELL

It began a long time ago, but for Rietta, it really began when she met Carla, another very special and extraordinary person, and realised that they shared the same dreams. Or perhaps it all started when Rietta and Carla found the severely injured dog in the woods, becoming firm friends as they tried to nurse it back to health and happiness. Then there was the 'thing' that they glimpsed watching them from the shadows, and the mystery of the missing standing-stone… but when they find the key to another realm, well, then things really start happening!

You can preview and buy This part one on amazon HERE

+ + UPDATE + +  

 for duration of schools closure 2020 

This part one is presented as a freebook at Medium 

via this special link HERE

PART TWO : THIS REALM, WHEREIN MAGIC YET FLOWS

Rietta and Carla have stepped into another realm. Now they are lost in a wonderful world of natural beauty, magical wonder and very real peril. They find reluctant allies among the spirits of the great Greenwood, before setting out to find Dreamers Dell in the hope of fulfilling their promise to help the Fair Ones. Along the way, they meet a mechanician, with his amazing mechanical animals, and fall-in with a band of Elfyn warriors.

When they are introduced to a mysterious and sinister mumblebone, they soon realise that things are getting much more dangerous than they ever expected. Though, as the girls discover more of This extraordinary realm, they also discover that they, themselves, may be even more extraordinary.

You can preview and buy This part two on amazon HERE


Part three is set to follow later this year and is expected to be released in both e-book and tree-book formats - watch this space... and if it is not too much to ask, do help to spread the word - you can tweet @RedSparrowPress and let them know that you enjoyed the books, and you could post a little review on amazon or on GoodReads. Those reviews really do help small indie publishers like The Red Sparrow and their authors, like me! Another BIG thank you for that!

The Red Sparrow have also asked me to contribute to an official This, That and The Other blog where I will answer readers' questions and write the occasional 'behind-the-scenes' post about the inspiration behind the books and hopefully share some insights about the background to the characters and events in the story - which you can check-out HERE and watch it grow...

2016 Looking Back and Looking Forward 2017

ALL the very BEST for the New Year 
...and hoping 2017 is better in every way!

WORKS ON SHOW...

2016 was ushered in by my solo exhibition Entropy/Extropy at Oriel Maenofferen Gallery, with other works simultaneously on show as part of the In-Sight 7 Exhibition, at Oriel Mostyn Gallery, and then Oriel Ynys Môn Museum and Gallery. The work was mainly lens-based, with a peppering of drawings and print-work. A couple of works were included in the 'Send Us A Postcard' open exhibition at Storiel Museum and Gallery, Bangor, including a charming cicorc named 'Charter'.

'Charter', the cicorc on exhibition at Storiel Museum and Gallery, Bangor

I enjoyed a Creative Residency at Plas Tan y Bwlch during September, in which I immersed myself in the locale and its myth-rich past, resulting in three, linked articles on the associated legends and folklore:

Welsh Folklore: Significance of the Maentwrog Standing Stone

Black Arts and Talismans: Huw Llwyd, the Real Welsh Wizard

Folk-Ore: The Magical Power of Blacksmiths and Their Enduring Stories

You can scroll down to read my blog posts from the Residency. I also hosted a few writing workshops and performed several preview readings from my new epic fairy-tale fantasy novel THIS (part one). Visual responses inspired by the research undertaken as part of the Residency are to be exhibited in the Stable Block Gallery this spring.

Bones of the Land (i) from the series, A Poetic Exploration of Cwmorthin

As 2016 drew to a close, some more cicorcs were on show at Galeri Betws y Coed as part of the Helfa Gelf Local Artists Selection, and remain on display in the boutique there. To ‘book-end’ the year, the In-Sight 10 Exhibition, at Oriel Mostyn Gallery, included seven of my drawings and prints (continues until the end of January).

oh, yes... and THIS happened:

Four-years-in-the-making and now we are excited to be sharing THIS journey with y'all... an epic fairy-tale fantasy adventure full of magic and intrigue and action and mystery... Well, you can share the first part of the journey, because my (fledgling) publisher, The Red Sparrow Press, have wisely decided to publish THIS as a part-work, leading up to its planned publication, later in 2017, as an illustrated print edition. Those of you savvy enough to jump on the unicorn from the outset, can ride for free! Part One of THIS came out Halloween 2016, at the very reasonable price of zero pounds and zero pence - yep, it was free! Part Two is to follow for Valentine's Day 2017 and will, no doubt be launched priced at nothing for the first few days, too!

You know, THIS is exactly what you need...

[ Please Note: The taster extract below is not the beginning. It is taken from later on in the book, about a quarter of the way through: a story within the story, told to Rietta and Carla, the two young girls whose story we follow, by Rietta’s Nanna, Ivy… and Scrufty is a dog. The extract appears here courtesy of The Red Sparrow Press. Please read and enjoy - it is ideal for a bedtime story... ]

You can start reading THIS by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad from the beginning at amazon with a free sample...

Read THIS

THIS, the new novel from Remy Dean with Zel Cariad

The Epic Fantasy Adventure Begins...

They say, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” right? Well, of course that’s not really true. They also say, “Knowledge is power.” Well that’s not always true either… because, somewhere between not knowing and knowing, there lies imagination. That’s the key… the key that unlocks secrets.

It did, once upon a time, and it still does today…

This is the first in a new epic fairy-tale trilogy: This, That and the Other, and is published by The Red Sparrow Press.

The first book will be split into four and released as a part-work, with part one (of book one) set for a Halloween launch to coincide with The Book Trust's Children's Book Week (31 October - 4 November), and will be available FREE for those five days, as an exclusive amazon kindle edition (which can easily be read on PCs, tablets, smartphones, etc. Find out how to read Kindle books without a Kindle-reader HERE). Parts two, three and four of This will follow on a quarterly schedule.

GET This - HERE -  and be there from the beginning...

It began a long time ago, but for Rietta, it really began when she met Carla, another very special and extraordinary person, and realised that they shared the same dreams. Or perhaps it all started when Rietta and Carla found the severely injured dog in the woods, becoming firm friends as they tried to nurse it back to health and happiness. Then there was the thing that they glimpsed watching them from the shadows, and the mystery of the missing standing-stone… but when they find the key to another realm, well, then things really start happening!

This That and the Other is imaginative fantasy, on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. It is a modern fable inspired by Welsh fairy tales and folklore, in the tradition of The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia…

Here is a recent interview I did for The Scrawl (along side Zel Cariad and Kim Vertue) in which I mention This and talk about some of my all-time favourite books...

...and another interview about This for PJ Roscoe - The Story Lady website.

More info at The Red Sparrow Press website.

Summer of '16

This summer promises to be very 'British', but regardless of the climate - both political and atmospheric - and whether we have a proper summer this year at all, here are some dates for the diary:

I have recently been working on a final version of This. This is my new novel, and first of the This, That and the Other series of three... Hey, that would be a trilogy! The books are my first for children and young adults and I am writing them in consultation with Zel Cariad, my resident expert on all things fairy and dragon related. So with Zel's invaluable help, and by channeling the veteran child within myself, I have written a fairy-tale fantasy that winds its epic yarn between the world of the 'Fair Ones' and that world where we now dwell...

"She did not know that before the next day dawned, she would have seen things that she never thought she would ever see, and that soon she would change forever. She would be changed from being a fairly normal little girl into being a very special and extraordinary person. It began a long time ago… but for Rietta, it all started when she met another very special and extraordinary person."

- taken from 'This', by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad 

The book is set for publication late this Autumn, but I will be reading preview extracts from This at these following events (click listings for more info and directions):

'The Legendary Llangollen Faery Festival' : 13 and 14 August 2016

'Sci-Fi Wales', Llandudno : 3 September 2016

...and I will also be

Writer in Residence at Plas Tan y Bwlch, Maentwrog, during September 2016.

I will be responding to the house and its environs using texts, images and artefacts... producing new work, signing copies of my books (Final Bough and The Race Glass) and reading from This on the second, third, and fourth weekends (those dates are 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 of September)

Plas Tan y Bwlch ...steeped in history and seeping with stories

Plas Tan y Bwlch overlooks the village of Maentwrog, named after Twrog's Stone, the ancient stone supposedly hurled there by a giant to smash a pagan altar, and now sited in the Mediaeval graveyard of a church surrounded by a grove of ancient yews. The site is mentioned in the Mabinogion as the place where king Pryderi was defeated in magical combat by Gwydion, and is where, centuries later, the Bible was translated into Welsh-language, and more recently where iron age dwellings and unique bog-iron foundries have been excavated. So, the place and the Plas, are seeping with stories, both ancient and modern.

Hope you get chance to drop in and have a chat!

You can read all about my previous Writing Residency at last year's Haus Of Helfa here...

also...

Recently, I have 'bravely' delved into the haphazard chaos of boxes that is my writer's archive and have already been reminded of some old, though still relevant features and interviews that have never been digitised. So, in my 'spare time', I intend to rescue some choice examples from their dusty obscurity and put them to work again, by uploading them to this weblog. So watch this space for occasional blasts from the past related to film, cult-television, mainstream rock and alternative music...