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Thanks to everyone who has opened the door at the top of their Front Step!

The Front Step was launched on April 2nd, and I’m delighted with the response it has received.  Thank you!

The Front Step is an anthology like no other! Divided into three unforgettable sections:

Tales from Home

Tales from Away

Tales from the Dark

Each section is brimming with dark humour, uncomfortable suspense, and profound reflection, this anthology is your ticket to an unforgettable literary journey and adventure.

Here’s a little taste to whet your appetite.

Tales from Away

The world had changed.

She’d only just woken but could immediately tell things were different. The blue of the sky seemed off—but she was unsure whether it was too bright or too subdued. The air smelt rich, ‘full,’ not light and fluffy like home. It filled her grateful and satisfied lungs like Pumpernickel bread and gherkins did for her tummy. She looked around, but Kev, her partner, was nowhere to be seen. She was pleased. He was too thick to understand; any change would be wasted on him. Sensing was a foreign word and a difficult concept for Kev. He hated anything different and could never imagine anything beyond a white sandwich loaf.

“Are you having fun yet?” a voice asked in a funny accent.

“Wha…what? Who said that?”

Her heart beat faster, concerned she couldn’t see anyone. 

“Who’s there?”

The voice chuckled low and soft. “It’s me; you’re sitting on me.”

Aroha crossed her legs, adjusted her hem, and then quickly decided to stand up. She blushed and rapidly brushed down her skirt. She looked down at the earth. It stared back at her, smiling.

“Don’t be alarmed,” the earth said warmly. “I’m old and way beyond caring about the exquisite beauty and foibles of flawed humans. I have long since grown tired of their wastrel exploits. I have been tamed and subdued. But I know where you come from; the land is young, wild, and resists your presence. So, I welcome you and will do my best to entertain and nourish you.”

“Trust in me, even if your journey grows wild. Wear the dust on your boots with pride, savour the bittersweet sourdough sting of the unfamiliar, and embrace the layered crust of salt on your skin. Only then will you truly understand the world beyond your island home—where wonders await beyond imagining, and every crumb of it is yours to taste.”

Aroha nodded; she laughed. “Sweet as!… I can handle the jandal. And I’m no stranger to a bit of focaccia, either. Go on, entertain me, then—let’s see what you’ve got.

The earth laughed heartily, its belly wobbling contentedly.

Tales from away help our wandering hearts and minds stretch beyond the Front Step. Familiarity is reframed by distance, and we are reminded that home is not a fixed point but a feeling hidden deep within our bones. It is a spirit that rekindles and ignites in foreign lands. Plucky and curious, it can endure salt-laced cyclones and laugh at the echo of the unfamiliar. It grounds and connects us to the earth and all its wonderful people. It creates a narrative that proves belonging is not lost in distance—but found in the telling.

The Front Step is available at all major book retailers.