Inspiration Behind the Story

Various locations within the book - Mystery of the Sun Sapphire, were inspired by events that took place in 2008, historical landmarks within Malaysia and memories of my childhood hometown in Seremban.

01

Kingdom of Flames

The idea behind the Kingdom of Flames came from watching the Olympics in Beijing in 2008. The stadium along with the Olympic torch gave birth to the idea for the Torch of Eternal Flames.

02

Periwinkle Lake

Lake Chini - the 2nd largest fresh water lake in Malaysia, located in Pahang.

Suria Tower

Suria KLCC combined with the KL tower, both in Kuala Lumpur city center and can be seen from my balcony.

The Temple of Eternal Flames

A combination between the Kek Lok Si Temple in Ayer Hitam and the Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple in Gopeng gave me the idea for the Temple of Eternal Flames.

Valley of the Twin Rainbows

Having seen a few of these from my balcony, I decided to create an enchanted land as part of the plot.

Kampung House

This is a traditional Malay house. It reminds me of my grandma's house in Seremban, although instead of a veranda there was a porch.

Angsana Tree

There was a huge Angsana Tree in front of my primary school in Seremban. Every year the blooms will fall and create a magical sight.

Wau

A giant kite, famous in the state of Kelantan..

Kuih Muih

A wide variety of local treats. (savory and sweet) Many sweet kuihs are made by adding coconut milk, sugar and rice flour; usually served as desserts, with afternoon tea or at breakfast.

Mystery of the Abandoned Castle

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Kellie's Castle

Kellie's castle is a famous abandoned castle in Batu Gajah, Perak. Built in 1915 by a Scottish builder William Kellie - Smith for his wife, Agnes and his growing family, it was abandoned after his death (aged 56) when his wife decided to move back to Scotland

Bear Print

The print of a bear in a tree can be seen on the grounds of Kellie's Castle.

Constellation of the Great Bear

To tie in the print of the bear into the story line, I aligned the plot with the Constellation of the Great Bear. It's a constellation in the northern sky that can be seen through out the year just above the horizon. Legend has it that the bear awakens in spring and this timing was perfect with the story line - March 2011.