FROM THE APACHE JUNCTION NEWS
(Apache Junction, Arizona)
AJ Author Merges Fantasy & Reality
'The Key and the Crest' is fictional biography of author's late wife
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION -- The Key anbd the Crest: The Unlikely Adventures of Frances Westerly by
Apache Junction resident Neil Larkins is a fictional fantasy of wizards, witches and mystery inspired by Larkins' late wife,
Teresa and published by Publish America.
Larkins spins a fantastic tale, in this his first book, centering on the life and trials
of the tale's heroine, Frances Westerly, a 14-year-old girls who suffers from a painful physical handicap, as did Larkins'
wife.
Through Frances, Larkins takes you on a journey of incredible proportions, plunging
the reader into various levels of reality, fantasy and spirituality.
A tale of triumph and courage, The Key and the Crest is actually a biography
of Larkins' wife, whose character comes through in that of the fictional Frances Westerly.
Although this story has a teenage heroine, this is not a simple children's book, the
writing is complex and the insights and lessons to be learned would be understood more readily by adult or older teen readers.
Through Frances, Larkins' wife lives on and will continue to do so through his sequel
The Pegasus Code: Further Unlikely Adventures of Frances Westerly, where the reader will once again be swept up in
adventure, this time through the defeats and triumphs of a 16-year-old Frances. (There is currently no projected release date
as Larkins is still working on the sequel.)
For those of you who would like to experience the intertwined fantasy and reality of
Frances Westerly's adventures, The Key and the Crest by Neil Larkins can be purchased at www.publishamerica.com or locally at Coyote Cody's Gifts and Cards located at 185 N. Apache Trail #7. For additional information
on Frances Westerly and Neil Larkins visit http://franceswesterly.tripod.com
[This article -- along with a photo of Mr. Larkins -- can be seen at the Apache Junction News website
http://www.ajnews.com Search the archives for April 18 - April 24, 2005 and click on page B-3]
