Writing Review of 2016

As usual, I’m doing what everybody else does and jumping on the bandwagon to do a review of what’s happened in my writing year:

• One novel, ‘The Door Into War’ was published by Rebel ePublishers.  It’s a time travel science fiction piece about a conspiracy to send undesirables into the trenches of World War One.  Reviews so far have been flattering;
• An erotic Short, ‘Bank Manager’, was published by Cobblestone Press;
• Another erotic short, ‘Weekend Treat’, has been accepted for publication, also by Cobblestone Press.  It’s going through the editing process at the moment;
• A third erotic piece, ‘Eton Mess’, accepted in 2014 by Keith Publications, has been through the editing process and has a cover.  It just awaits publication;
• Another horror novel accepted by Wild Child Publishing back in 2013, ‘Dana’s Children’, has been edited.  I await a cover and publication date.  It’s a story set in Ireland, about a group of archaeologists who stumble upon some underground passages containing evil creatures from Irish Myth.

So, what is there to look forward to in 2017?

• Hopefully, ‘Eton Mess’, ‘Weekend Treat’ and ‘Dana’s Children’ will be published;
• Two or three novellas and short novels of variable quality which I may or may not persevere with;
• I’ve finished redrafting of a north Welsh tale about a man who married a fairy.  Like ‘The Footholder’s Tale’, 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 in the story is now a less-than-picturesque industrial estate and caravan park.  The story is ready to submit;
• I’ve planned a handful of erotic shorts;
• I’m half way through a horror about something archaeologists find in a Welsh bog.  I was brought up on 1980’s style horror, and the genre has changed since I picked up my first James Herbert back in the late 1970s.  The story is a throwback to the period in both structure and style which may or may not make it saleable, but it’s been a fun change to write;
• Tentatively planning the next novel.  I’ve always wanted to write a slasher set in non-modern times, and for this one I’m looking at something set in north-west Ireland during the period (around the beginning of the first century AD) of Celtic myth’s Ulster Cycle, and using the legends as a background.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who helped my writing in 2016, 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.

‘The Door Into War’ - Review

It’s always pleasing to receive a review from someone I don’t know, because it means someone likes the look of the book(!).  It’s even more pleasing when the review is four star which is the case with the first Amazon review for ‘The Door into War’.  The story is described as a ‘…rattling good yarn’.

The full review is here.

Cobblestone Press

So, contracts have been signed – nice and quickly in these days of e-signatures – so I can announce that the publisher of ‘Weekend Treat’ will be Cobblestone Press.

Cobblestone Press handled my previous erotic short, ‘Bank Manager’, brilliantly so I was hoping Cobblestone would want to take on ‘Weekend Treat’, too.

Acceptance – ‘Weekend Treat’

I’m delighted to announce that a publisher will take on one of my erotic shorts, ‘Weekend Treat’.  As usual, I’ll refrain from naming the publisher until contracts are signed just in case something goes wrong.  However, it’s a house I’ve enjoyed working with before, and I’m delighted to be back in the fold.

The story is about Rachel McKenzie, the main character in my recently-released time travel novel, ‘The Door into War’.  In ‘Door’ Rachel, at thirty-one and still single, is concerned she will be left on the shelf.  In ‘Weekend Treat’ she goes into work one weekend to finish writing a paper.  A couple of plumbers are in the office replacing a radiator, they flirt, and Rachel finds she’s still ‘got it’. 

It was a thread I never got to explore in detail in ‘Door’ so it’s good to be able to go into it in a bit more depth.

My usual erotic ‘stars’, Kerry-Jane and Amy, have minor parts in the story.

An acknowledgement to Phil, who commented on the first draft.