Jack Janson & The Storm Caller by Andrew Marsh

Today I am pleased to be shining a spotlight on Jack Janson & The Storm Caller, the first book in a planned series from author Andrew Marsh. This is a fantasy book aimed at young adults from age 12 upwards but can be enjoyed by all ages, as evidenced by the Amazon reviews. You can see the book information together with a wee extract below. You can also read a little about Andrew. 

The Blurb:

Jack Janson is nearly fourteen, an only child living with his parents who hate him almost as much as they hate each other. The only good things about his life are the girl next door, Sarah-Jane Farmer, whom he adores, and his Granny Jean in Cornwall who he spends the summer holidays with.

His gran is cool but she is hiding a HUGE secret. As her health fails, she decides to share the secret with Jack.

Gran leads Jack to a cave.

“Boom Tom tum” a loud voice echoes and a rock opens up to reveal a young giant called Winfred Storm Caller. Gran has been looking after the friendly giant since pirates killed his mother, but she needs Jack to care for Winfred.

Sarah-Jane arrives to help and they uncover The Book Of Lore hidden in the cave.What magic does it possess?

Have they found a way to get Winfred home to his own lands?

Are Sarah-Jane and Jack brave enough to use the book to save Granny Jean’s life?

Jack Janson & The Storm Caller was published on 15th September 2019 and is available in eBook and paperback. 

Extract from Jack's first encounter with the giant:

Turning, he took his first proper look at the giant. He must have been twenty feet tall with a large round head, soft wispy brown hair and piercing green eyes. His neck was thicker than a barrel and the veins stood out like iron bars. His thin cotton shirt fell over his chest, gaping enough for Jack to see his firm muscular features. But the thing that he stared at the most were his huge tree trunk legs sticking out from beneath his shorts and his arms as thick as girders. This fella could life a mountain.

From the corner of his eye he saw something and made another connection with something that happened recently. Realising he was staring, he blurted out, “The lantern!” his shrill voice echoed from the cave walls. “The other night in the storm, it was you waving that lantern back and forth,” Jack pointed to a lantern in the corner of the cave.

“By boom Tom tum it were me, save shippy ships from big rocky rocks in the sea,” Winfred smiled back.

“And why is the cave lit up like the daylight outside when there are no doors or windows?”

Jack saw Winfred shoot a look at Gran and he noticed her small but perceptible nod in return.

“Be giant magic Jack Janson, by boom Tom tum it be.”

“And the fire over there. I see it burning bright but I don’t see a chimney for the smoke to go up. We should be choking on smoke but the air is clean and fresh,” he pointed to the large fire cut into the middle of the cave wall.

“Clever be, Jack Janson, by boom Tom tum he be. Things work by giant magic, so they do. No smoky smoke in Winfred’s home, by boom Tom tum no.”

“Giant magic, like wow!” Jack stood in awe and looked across at Gran who was smiling at him. “This tops everything Gran, it really does.”

The whistling of a kettle on the fire broke the moment.

“Boom Tom tum. Manners?” the giant exclaimed. “Tea My Lady and little Jack have.”

“I’m not little, I’m quite tall for my age,” Jack chuckled, realising the irony of his statement.

“Be Jack Truth Sayer now it be. By boom Tom tum it will.” Winfred bowed to Jack and reached for some battered metal mugs on a shelf at the back of the cave.

“Winfred, I’m puzzled by something. Well, many things actually. But the biggest of them is this, how come no one else knows you are here? You live in a cave, have a big fire and if I may say so, you are rather large. Surely someone else would have discovered you or your home by now?”

Winfred shot another glance at Jean who shook her head back.

“Question good be. By boom Tom tum it be.”

“You seem to be forgetting that I know he’s here.”

“I got that one real quick, Gran. But you know, I doubt many others do, otherwise he would be big news, very big news. It intrigues me.” Jack smiled knowing that he had pulled out a really good question. The one thing he knewfor sure is that SJ would not believe it until Winfred stood there in front of her. No sir, she wouldn’t. “Then, if Gran is the only one who knows, why has she brought me here to meet you?” Jack asked.

He noticed her facial expression change for a split second. Another thought ran through him like a lightning bolt making him blush and get angry. He had to ask that question, even though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. He just had to ask it.

The Author:

Author, speaker, story teller, coach.

Andrew is a 56 year old former geologist from the construction industry who discovered a passion

for writing inspired by things that happened at work, on sites, and in life generally.

With the winnings from his appearance on The Weakest Link in 2003, he self-published his first novel, The Long And Winding Road in 2004. In 2014 he self-published his second novel The Truth, an adult crime thriller which is still available in Amazon in both formats.

Since then he has written a fantasy trilogy, which is still being worked on and his current Young Adult WIP, the Jack Janson series, the first book, Jack Janson and the Storm Caller was published in

September 2019.

Four years ago, Andrew was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome which has brought great understanding to his life and this has also prompted him to write poetry on a number of topics,

including his Asperger’s.