Writing Review of 2015

Everybody seems to do as review of the year, and as at the end of previous Decembers I’m jumping on the bandwagon.  Here’s what happened in my writing world in 2015:

• Two novels, ‘The Footholder’s Tale’ (historical fantasy) and ‘Snuff’ (violent horror) were both published.  ‘Footy’ has received pleasing reviews on Amazon;
• Another novel, ‘Operation Trench’ (time travel) has been accepted for publication which is tentatively scheduled for 2016;
• Another horror novel accepted back in 2013, ‘Dana’s Children’, has been edited.  I await a cover and publication date;
• An erotic novelette, ‘Eton Mess’, accepted in 2014, has a cover and now awaits editing.

So, what is there to look forward to in 2016?

• Hopefully, ‘Operation Trench’, ‘Dana’s Children’, and ‘Eton Mess’ will be published;
• I’ve planned a couple of sequels to ‘Art Class’ and ‘Eton Mess’.  Well, not quite sequels, but stories with the same characters and similar erotic themes;
• Two or three novellas and short novels of variable quality which I may or may not persevere with;
• I’ve finished a first draft of a retelling of a north Welsh tale about a man who married a fairy.  Like ‘Footy’, which is also a retelling of a Welsh story, the original is a bit bare and one of the attractions is being able to make up any backstory I like.  It also has the advantage of being set up the road from the family’s usual holiday destination so I know the setting well.  Sadly, the meadow where fairies danced is now an industrial estate and caravan park;
• In rural Ireland until relatively recent times, supernatural beings were believed to travel in straight lines between mystical sites – burial mounds, stone circles and the like.  Woe betide anyone who builds a house on such a ‘fairy path’.  My next work is likely to be a horror about a house builder who ignored the advice…

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who helped my writing in 2015, whether by critiquing my work on Critters or offline, or by providing encouragement, or by editing my work, or generally just being there when I’ve needed a shoulder or advice.  Particular mention, as usual, to Carole and Phil.