Some 600 years after the Nea’thi people left their underground Enclaves and changed the course of Human history altogether, eighteen year old Jaseth, Lord’s Heir of the small rural district of Jaelshead, has his entire life planned out for him. That is until the arrival of Charlie, a Nea’thi Mentor, bearing the incredible news that Jaseth is Nea’thi-Blood - one of the small fraction of the Human population that has the remarkable ability to use Nea'thi Magic - and must be taken to the nearest Capitol, Lille, to study at the Academy. For the eight Bloodkin and their Mentors, life in the big city is a whirl of parties and romance and the study of magic. But all is not well in Lille. There are rumours of assassins and missing half-breeds, and events set in motion before Jaseth had even been born are about to come crashing to a head as he is thrown into a struggle to save not only the beautiful young Queen, but the very fabric of society. Jaseth of Jaelshead Book 1: Bloodkin is the first in a four part fantasy series aimed at the mature young adult market (age 15+). It is fantasy for the post-Potter generation, set in a fully-realised world and intended to appeal to fans of modern fantasy and coming-of-age dramas and comedies like Skins, Game of Thrones, The Inbetweeners, the Hunger Games and American Pie.

**

### About the Author

Cathy Ashford was born in 1984 in Christchurch, New Zealand and grew up in a small town not far to the south, attending boarding school from the ages of 11 to 17. She then attended Canterbury University for five years, graduating with a B.A. Hons in Classics and History. After receiving a Certificate in Audio Engineering from MAINZ in 2007, Cathy worked for her parents' company, Ashford Handicrafts, for some time before finding a position in music retail at the famous local boutique Radar Records. The February earthquake of 2011 closed the shop and forced Cathy to abandon for a time her red-zoned flat and take refuge with her family. It was during this time, in the autumn and winter of 2011, that Bloodkin was written. Cathy still lives in the damaged city, and is also a fibre artist, musician, vocalist and gardener, who dreams of one day saving the world with literature and Permaculture.