K'Barthan

Few Are Chosen, K'Barthan Series: Part 1 Meet The Pan of Hamgee: coward, unwilling adventurer and, by some miracle, K'Barth's longest surviving outlaw. He just wants a quiet life so working as getaway driver is probably a bad career move. Then he falls in love at first sight with a woman he hasn't even met who comes from an alternative reality. That's when things really begin to get complicated. Meet Ruth Cochrane: she's the Chosen One, destined to play a pivotal role in saving K'Barth from a cruel dictator. She's never heard of K'Barth, though. She's a public relations executive from London and she's totally unaware of the chaos about to hit her life. Meet Lord Vernon: power hungry psychopath on the brink of world domination. He wants to cement his hold on K'Barth by kidnapping the Chosen One and forcing her to marry him. Only one person is standing in his way: someone who doesn't even realise it, The Pan of Hamgee. For The Pan, and Ruth, that's a deadly problem.

The Pan of Hamgee is not a natural knight in shining armor. Yet he has escaped from police custody in K'Barth, switched realities and foiled Lord Vernon's attempt to kidnap Ruth, the Chosen One, from the Festival Hall. Pretty good, he thinks. However, Ruth thinks otherwise. Being pursued by Lord Vernon is bad enough. Now, thanks to The Pan, she's on the run. They are both alive, of course, but with Lord Vernon on their tail neither of them can be sure how long for. To save K'Barth and Ruth, the woman of his dreams, The Pan must introduce her to the Candidate, who is prophesied to be the man of her dreams. And he must do it fast - before Lord Vernon finds her. But the gentleman in question is in hiding and no one knows where. Only The Pan can find him, if he can bring himself to unite them.

One Man: No Plan, K'Barthan Series: Part 3 The Pan of Hamgee needs answers, although he's not even sure he knows the questions. He has a chance to go straight but it's been so long that he's almost forgotten how. Despite a death warrant over his head he is released, given a state-sponsored business, and a year's amnesty for all misdemeanors while he adjusts. On the down side, Ruth has left him for his nemesis, Lord Vernon. The Pan doesn't have a year, either. In only five days Lord Vernon will gain total power and destroy K'Barth. Unless The Pan can stop him. Because even though the Candidate, the person prophesied to save K'Barth, has finally appeared it's still going to be down to The Pan to make things right. But he has no clue where to start or whether he even can. The future hangs by a thread and the only person who can fix it is The Pan: a man without a plan.

The Pan of Hamgee doesn't believe in miracles but if he's going to save K'Barth it looks as if he might need one. He's not quite as alone as he thought. The punters from The Parrot and Screwdriver are right behind him and he has rescued three of his friends from the Grongolian Security Forces, who are now of course, three of the nation's most wanted, which doesn't make life easy. He even has something of a plan for once. It involves making peace with the Resistance, trying to resurrect the Underground movement, and toppling Lord Vernon. Now, The Pan just needs to keep his head down and maintain a low profile. He must be brave and clever and stay in control. That's going to be a first. But the hardest part will be staying alive long enough to put his plan into action.

A man called by fate. The wrong man. All The Pan of Hamgee wants is a quiet life. So why did he have to fall in love with a woman living a different version of reality, upset a murderous tyrant and then run out of places to hide? Now all he has to do is face his inner demons, rescue everything he holds dear and save the world, or die trying. Oh yes, and he's an abject coward. Great. No pressure then. Approximate cinema rating: PG/12. Includes some light swearing of the kind that would be acceptable in the UK. ASK THE AUTHOR Q – So, what made you write this series? A – If you want the honest answer I wrote it for me. As a reader, I love British satire and humor (or humour). I love wit; funny epic fantasy series like the Discworld novels and comedic sci fi like Douglas Adams. I like a gripping tale that zips along quickly. And of course, I like genre fiction mashups; Douglas Adams meets StarTrek and James Bond - with a smidgeon of Dr Who and a dash of romance (but no squelchy bits). I wanted a fast paced story, a gripping tale but at the same time a funny one. Comedy in the tradition of all the great humorous British authors. I wanted protagonists people could love and empathise with, mavericks, misfit characters, real people ... except they're not all people obviously, some of them are other alien (ish) species. The K'Barthan series about misfit heroes and heroines winning the day, it's about good versus evil even when the good guys are on different sides. It's science fiction fantasy action - it's planet based, so it's a bit of a blend. You'll find all sorts of quirky characters and interesting alien species: from 6ft Swamp Things with antennae to cute furry creatures like the Blurpons, with their fluffy ears, big button eyes and penchant for extreme violence. Oh ... and did I mention the flying car chases?