Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean

Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean is a junior teen fantasy adventure novel published by IFWG Publishing Australia.  It combines my love of the ocean with my passion for speculative fiction with an Australian setting and flavour.

In the coastal Queensland town of Midnight Cove, thirteen year old Curtis Creed’s world is falling apart.  Once a talented upcoming surfer, he cannot bring himself to return to the ocean.  His inability to overcome his fear earns him the ridicule of his older brother, Dylan. Worse, his family is struggling to cope with the loss of their father in a rock fishing accident.

The summer holiday looks long and lonely for Curtis until he meets Navaya, a mysterious sea dweller he rescues from fishing line in a rock pool.

An ancient pearl harvester from the underwater kingdom of Araxie, Navaya must protect the Moami, key to an underwater cavern hiding the last of the Arax pearls.

But the Moami is lost, and it looks like Glynts – dangerous, viper-like creatures from deep sea – might succeed in their mission to steal the pearls, giving them the ability to breathe on land.

When Curtis agrees to help Navaya find the Moami he embarks on a dangerous adventure that will see him join forces with awkward but brilliant new girl in town, Morgan.

Will Curtis be able to overcome his fears to return the Moami to its rightful owners before the Glynts succeed in their deadly plan? Was his father’s death really an accident? And what exactly is the lore of the ocean?

Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean highlights themes and issues relevant to today’s youth:   friendship and family dynamics, mental health, respect for the environment, identity, overcoming fear, and courage in the face of adversity.

Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean is available through all good bookstores, or in paperback and eBook via Amazon

• Cover art and design by Catherine Archer-Willis.