Fergus author launches debut novel 'Veil Walker'

FERGUS – Local author Brenda Hicock has just announced the release of her debut novel Veil Walker. 

Hicock describes the novel, published on Sept. 22,  as “contemporary romance meets high-stakes fantasy.”

“It starts contemporary romance a little bit, and then all of a sudden the magic comes in and by the end we’re into fantasy,” said Hicock. 

The novel follows the main character Kira as she recovers from a toxic relationship. 

During this time, she befriends Charles, an elderly widower and former archaeologist. 

When Charles disappears, Kira teams up with his grandson Owen, an ex-soldier turned bodyguard, to find him. 

Their search leads them down a path of Celtic-inspired magic, druids, tree spirits and shadowy wraiths.

“There’s also like a dark power that’s lying within Kira” said Hicock, “and so there’s some mystery about that. What is it, and could it save everything, or actually could it be the downfall of everything?”

The novel is a standalone story with room for its world to continue in planned books featuring different couples. 

The novel is set in present-day Toronto with parts of the story taking place along the Bruce Peninsula and in Scotland.

Hicock began writing her novel two years ago after she awoke from a curious dream.

“Two years ago, I woke up from a dream where it was just a man walking up to the door to a woman, and he opened the door, and he had these all these feelings of love and protectiveness to him, and I knew they’re going to a gala. 

“I knew he was her bodyguard, and that’s it,” said Hicock. “And so I woke up from the dream, and I was just like, I need to know more with these characters.”

“I immediately got up and I just started writing everything I could remember about the dream. 

“And I just wanted to know, who were they? Why were they going to a gala? And why did she need protecting? 

“And it was really the feelings that stayed with me,” she continued.

Hicock finished the first draft of the book in three months and spent the next year editing and revising her work with the help of her editor. 

Despite having always been fascinated with the fantasy and romance genres, Hicock said she had never intended to publish the book.

“I always just wrote about my own stuff, nothing professional, nothing official, just writing for myself, and never published anything, never showed anybody, like just had it in the back of the closet,” said Hicock.  

Veil Walker is an adult read with a spice rating of three and a half. The novel contains mention of abuse, drowning, foul language, trauma, death, murder and war. 

Hicock’s book is available at Magic Pebble Books in Elora, Kindle Unlimited and the Fergus library. 

For more information on the novel or Hicock herself, visit @brendahicock on Instagram.