Local composer pens young adult fantasy novels

Nov. 29—Gloucester's Rob Bradshaw, a consummate musician and composer, knows how to spin a tale through music. Now it's books with the release of "The Sword Guildebrande," a family-friendly fantasy novel.

"It's so nice to have something fun to announce during these difficult times," said Bradshaw. "The series focuses on the Wizard Aarghathlain and his daughter, Holly-Mine, and their adventures in and around Gemini City. There are pirates, airships, and magic, of course, but also relatable characters and strong themes of love and friendship."

He noted that although this is the second book in a series, a reader does not need to have read book one first because the new release is also a standalone novel.

So far, early reviews praised the work.

"If you're a fan of movies such as 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' you're going to love 'The Sword Guildebrande.' Author Robert J. Bradshaw weaves an absorbing young adult fantasy yarn that sparks with an adventurous spirit, making it a blast to read. The plot moves quickly, taking unexpected twists and turns that keep you thoroughly engaged," wrote Pikasho Deka in a review for Readers' Favorite.

Bradshaw explained that he has always written for his compositions.

"I've written all of the stories and libretti for my musicals and operas, and I have written a music theory book, trumpet study book, and a book on composing but I've never published them, only giving them to my students and sharing them with colleagues. So, it isn't the writing that is new, it's the publishing part that is," he said. "As with my composition, I have done a crazy amount of research. There are more pages of written research than pages in the books."

Actually, he added that it isn't that different from composing music or composing a photograph. For him, it's all about "study, plan, collaborate, and work really hard."

"The truth is, I am and have always been a storyteller. The medium isn't the most important part. It's getting to create, collaborate, and share," said Bradshaw.

This particular project, The Wizard's Diary series, was born of COVID isolation.

"With all of my musical commissions and performances canceled, I struggled to keep creative. I worked on publishing old compositions, wrote an opera, and did a lot of stock photography shoots but something was missing — collaborating. I love to work with other people. So, I came up with an idea and pitched it to my family one dinner. They clearly were feeling the same way I was because that first night we spent hours and hours talking about it," he recalled.

He noted that both of his children are students of the craft, though from different angles; his son was finishing up his writing degree at Johns Hopkins University and his daughter is an English major at the University of Connecticut.

"And my wife is an attorney with a flair for the nitty gritty of writing so we got to work," he said. "Each day, I would bring what I had written to dinner. I would read it and then the family would workshop it. They were brutal! Nothing was above being questioned, which was exactly what I had hoped for. Like I said, I love collaborating. It's hard to offend me after all the criticism I have endured as an artist over my lifetime."

But then something changed.

"The project wasn't just a family project anymore. It was starting to come together into something I could share with other people. At that point, I brought in a bunch of other professionals — editors, a librarian, an English teacher, and beta readers — and really got serious about publishing the books," said Bradshaw.

So far, there are two books, "The Wizard's Diary" and "The Sword Guildebrande," one short story "The Ancient Quadropolis, and he is halfway through the third and fourth books.

"I'm trying very hard to give young readers something other than the current norm for YA fantasy," he said. "I want to tell stories that are about family, friends and real-life struggles in a fantasy setting."

For more information, visit: www.wizardsdiary.com.