The mind is a trippy place. It can be like a maze, especially when you’ve got a fertile imagination.

It’s easy to jump from one idea to the next, from fanciful to intriguing to exciting.

All this got me thinking: What if a place like this existed in the real world? And what if there were a school to teach us how to navigate it?

That’s the idea behind my new series, Academy of the Lost Labyrinth. Each person must navigate the labyrinth of his or her own mind, but we’ve got people to help us: schoolteachers, parents, friends-for-life. They’re all with us on the journey, even if they can’t take it for us. That’s what happens at the magical academy I’ve created, and it’s the kind of journey I’ve set before my characters – and my readers.

Life can take us almost anywhere, and so can the Lost Labyrinth. That’s what makes writing this series so much fun. My characters can visit Mount Olympus, the River Styx, a dragon kingdom in the heart of a mountain, the North Pole, Stonehenge, Easter Island... even a planet halfway across the galaxy. The possibilities are endless, thanks to the labyrinth.

Why is it a “lost” labyrinth? You’ll have to read the books to find out! But I will give you a sneak peek into what you’ll find in their pages.

If you’ve read my Memortality books, you know I’m fascinated with the ideas of time and memory, so there’s a lot of time travel in the series opener, The Talismans of Time.

I started by thinking of time as a circle, rather than a straight line. This allowed me to create a unique narrative that begins at the end and ends at the beginning... but still spins a fast-paced, exciting tale. How does that work? Again, you’ll have to read the book.

It tells the story of how two very different teenagers – Alex and Elizabeth – from very different times find themselves caught in the labyrinth, and how their journeys lead to the founding of a new academy. He’s from Iowa in 1991; she’s from Yorkshire at the turn of the 20th Century. They wander into the labyrinth by chance, and in order to get out again, they have to collect all seven Talismans of Time... and help each other along the way.

The fate of the Academy in the present day is at stake. It’s a special school that accepts students with four main magical talents: time travel, memory magic, shapeshifting and dream walking.  

But it turns our those aren’t the only such talents – and the Academy of the Lost Labyrinth isn’t the only school for the magically gifted in my alternate universe. One of those other schools, the Academy of Enchanted Arts, plays a pivotal role in the second book, Pathfinder of Destiny.

Set on a remote island in the South Pacific, it’s a haven for painters, writers and musicians whose art can literally come alive.

Yet another school, the Astral Academy, is on a planet hundreds of light years from Earth and accessible through the labyrinth. It’s the basis for a spinoff book called (naturally) Astral Academy.

Pathfinder of Destiny, meanwhile, continues the story of the main Academy in the present day and features many of the characters from Talismans. It also introduces two new protagonists: Cassidy Parks, a 13-year-old girl from Detroit, and her best friend, Stefani. Together, they must save the Academy from a familiar villain who wants to seize control of the labyrinth – and exact revenge on Elizabeth (who’s now the headmistress) in the process.

I’ve written these books for the same audiences that enjoy the magical, whimsical and adventure-filled worlds of Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Doctor Who and Alice in Wonderland. They’re suitable for all ages, but you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy them. (My father, the political science professor, loved the Harry Potter books, and these are designed to be in the same vein.)

Oh, and be on the lookout for fun, semi-hidden references and tributes to a number of fantasy and science fiction works. See how many you can find.

The books in this series are available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form, and are also accessible through Kindle Unlimited. Check them out today!