Some time ago I was asked to contribute to Ella M Kaye's site It's All oKaye with particular reference to 'lights in the dark' as applied to a fictional character's emotional arc. It's now live, so do hop across to discover how I envisaged, and subsequently handled, Nick Blaketon's mental trauma in The Bull At The Gate.
After all, if your dead lover temporarily erupted in a gush of water in your room how would you explain the ensuing devastation to the person downstairs? Yeah, right. And how do you think that would take its toll on you?
27 June 2014
13 June 2014
The Bull At The Gate - paperback launch
Where did the month go? Mostly in bringing the paperback of The Bull At The Gate to launch, and promoting
Books 1 and 2 in the Torc of Moonlight
trilogy. But it has its rewards as reviews are coming in:
“...Utterly gripping. A fascinating journey around
contemporary and Roman York is the
background to a compelling plot. The nuances and ambiguities kept me guessing -
something I always enjoy...”
“..Nick's vulnerable mindset is totally convincing after
such a disturbing experience in Book 1...”
“...An absolute brilliant read, an absorbing, gripping book...”
“...Here history is
not an alternative universe but the continuous integration of the 'present' – a
fascinating concept...”
Reviews can make a book, and their lack can so often break a
book. In truth it’s always been the way, but authors feel it more keenly now.
Mainstream publishers do check the
number of reviews on distributions sites when deciding whether to renew a
contract, and for indie authors many internet promotion portals determine entry
by the number of reviews.
I’m lucky in that SF/F retailer Fantastic Book Publishing is
distributing signed paperback copies of both Torc of Moonlight and The Bull At The Gate.
So let me make a plea on behalf of all authors. Leave a
short review on the books you read. It does help us, honest.
Copies of both the ebooks and paperbacks (alas not signed) can
also be found at
2 May 2014
Writer's Reveal
I’m
pleased to be part of a blog-hop centring on four questions that reveal part of
my writing life. Thanks to Toni V Sweeney for
the plaudits and hand-on.
What are you working on?
I’m launching
the paperback of The Bull At The Gate,
Book 2 in the Torc of Moonlight
trilogy of supernatural thrillers, so at the moment it is more admin and
promotion than creative writing. At the same time I’m oiling the ol’ creaking
brain cogs for its follow-up, so on my immediate To Do list is
a) gentle brainstorming
for Book 3 which leads to...
b) collecting
initial research information for said book;
c) turf out my
disgusting office to...
d) find the
notes I scribbled while writing Book 2.
What is happening around you while you write?
What should be happening is peace and
tranquillity. I am both lucky enough not have to go out to earn a living and
I have office space with a door that can be shut on the household, but it rarely
works that way. I’m either on call too much or too easily distracted.
As an
illustration I’ve just returned to my office after remembering the laundry
needed checking in the drier [shakes head...]
Which comes first plot strand, character, or.....?
...problem,
solution..? Initially it’s a gaseous mass of all these. If/when two ignite they
either illuminate another element or burn it to cinders. This is where the
gentle brainstorming comes in; it’s akin to poking at a smouldering fire. Once
the elements begin to take on a smoky form, it is then that the characters take
precedence. Each book of the trilogy has three intertwining storylines – one
historical, two contemporary – and once the main characters in each are
identified I will write their mission statements, their back-stories, and start
a timeline of how they view the unfolding novel. It's my way of gaining a handle on them as true people.
Explain your research routine
There’s a lot
of non-fiction reading involved, both book and internet, which goes on at the
same time as the gaseous mass is coagulating. This shows up both probable
dead-ends and possible incendiary material useful to the novel. Characters’
mission statements, back-stories, and viewpoints start to turn into the novel’s
Bible – an ever-growing Word document navigated by internal hyperlinks. In the
Bible is listed every character and their mores, and links to all internet research,
as well as the main outline of the novel, which eventually takes on the form of
a working synopsis. Somewhere along the line I will have made a start on the
novel itself, as it is in the writing that the beast comes truly to life.
Thanks for
taking the time to read my Writer’s Reveal. If you have any comments or questions
go ahead and ask them below. Or if you've enjoyed the post, please give it a Tweet below; it would be most appreciated.
If you’d like
to read the openings of any of my books, click the covers in the columns to be
taken to its relevant Amazon page and use the Look Inside facility.
For purchases
other than Amazon: B&N Nook ¦ Apple iBooks ¦ All Formats
Next Friday, 09 May, I am handing on to two very different Fantasy writers:
Stuart Aken is a pantster, writing books
that blur the boundaries between genres. For him, story chooses genre and
characters drive plot. He’s written thriller, romance, erotica, scifi, horror
and, in his most recent release, epic fantasy of a type that appeals to both
genders and all readers over 15. Joinings; A Seared Sky, was released in
print and digital formats by Fantastic Books Publishing on 30 March.
V.M. Jaskiernia writes dark
fantasy romance in her world of Noctuina. She is influenced by mythology, fairy
tales, modern fantasy, horror, and history. Her first series, 'The Courting of
Life of Death' (Clandestina), follows the duc of Piques, Pierre Salvador, as he
consorts with the Lady of Death while also courting the Lady Elizabeth Anne.
Enjoy both!
19 April 2014
Do you Read or Skim?
A recent article in the Washington Post asked if living in the online Social Media world is having a detrimental effect on our overall reading habits. As reading is a learned skill, are we training our brains to skim-and-click for information we consider relevant without realising it may be to the detriment of longer, in-depth reading skills where we savour nuance and metaphor?
It caught my eye (yes, I did skim as an initial pass) because I’ve had reviewers who took me to task over aspects of my books, yet their observances were simply incorrect. At the time I couldn’t understand how the mistakes had been made as these were part of the physical reflective balance between characters, but could it have been down to the speed, and the way, of reading?
This question was raised again when I was sent a link to a speed-reading test. I clocked up 255 words per minute and answered all the subsequent questions correctly. I considered fast, but others who have taken the test have hit 500+ words per minute.
I certainly know readers who regularly challenge themselves to complete a 100,000 word novel in less than a day, but is this beneficial? Perhaps it all depends on the person, the clamouring of their mental debris at the time, and how multi-layered the text.
So... I’m obviously a slow reader. Are you a fast reader? Does this affect your ability to draw from your reading what the author seeds within the text?
It caught my eye (yes, I did skim as an initial pass) because I’ve had reviewers who took me to task over aspects of my books, yet their observances were simply incorrect. At the time I couldn’t understand how the mistakes had been made as these were part of the physical reflective balance between characters, but could it have been down to the speed, and the way, of reading?
This question was raised again when I was sent a link to a speed-reading test. I clocked up 255 words per minute and answered all the subsequent questions correctly. I considered fast, but others who have taken the test have hit 500+ words per minute.
I certainly know readers who regularly challenge themselves to complete a 100,000 word novel in less than a day, but is this beneficial? Perhaps it all depends on the person, the clamouring of their mental debris at the time, and how multi-layered the text.
So... I’m obviously a slow reader. Are you a fast reader? Does this affect your ability to draw from your reading what the author seeds within the text?
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