My fellow Uriah Heep friend & fan Mike Shannon has written a novel ‘A Ribbon Of Sand’. As a Heep fan Mike manages to make a few Heep references in the book, as he tells me – “The book takes place in 1982, Abominog gets several mentions and pops up in pivotal segments. The album cover is also the focal point of a pivotal scene.” The main character is even shares the same name with longtime Heep engineer, and producer of a few Heep albums –“The main character’s name is Ashley Howe () who’s a metal and classic rock fan, and there are several Heep song/album references, along with a bounty of classic rock and NWOBHM bands like Tygers of Pan Tang, Iron Maiden, Cirith Ungol, Venom, Motorhead, Sabbath, Purple, Witchfinder General, Thin Lizzy and so on. This music is the main character’s coping mechanism as he tries to navigate his precarious position in the backward community he lives in.”

*For more on A Ribbon Of Sand check out Mike’s bio below, and the back cover. Easily available on Amazon (hard cover, paperback, Kindle)

Ribbon of Sand is Mike Shannon’s first novel. He spent several years of his youth in the South Carolina Low Country; the culture and natural wonders are woven into his soul. His fascination with folklore and the supernatural stretches back to those boyhood days—and he’s had paranormal experiences signposting his life’s journey.

Before turning his attention to fiction writing, Mike had poetry published in various literary journals in America and the U.K. He has also had articles in several publications, including a major piece in the English music magazine Shindig. Finding music as essential as air, he listens to everything from Black Sabbath to Bartók. Mike has a Bachelors degree in anthropology from Loyola University, Chicago, and presently lives in Westmont, Illinois with his wife Julie and cats Scrimm and Magers.