Revision of a work in progress

 I have decided to revise the third novel in my 'Magicians' series. A key point in the story involves a man being abducted. I decided that the episode should occur earlier in the story, to draw in the reader. 

I thought it would be simple, but that minor change forced me to re-shuffle a dozen other episodes in the story. The man is introduced to a schoolgirl during a school holiday; the abduction now takes place during the school holiday instead of after it. I could have deleted that interview, but it helped to show how likeable the abducted man was. I decided to keep the interview, but that forced me to make a couple of other changes.

I think the end result makes it all worthwhile.

First book in series finally published

The first book in my Urban Fantasy series, 'The Conspiracy Theory' has been published on Amazon Kindle. I  hope to arrange a paperback version in a few days.

The story describes a series of magicians from Britain who visit the United States and attract the unwelcome attention of some American conspiracy theorists.

I have been working on this novel since I first went into lockdown. the text was completed in September. Arranging the cover took over a month.

The next task is to carry out a line-edit of the second book in the series and arrange a cover.

I have five novels in the series in various stages of development.

 

  

Fantastic Schools Anthology

 Almost a year ago, at the Novacon Science Fiction convention, I read an invitation to contribute to an anthology on the theme of magical schools. The editors were Chris Nuttall and L. Jagi Lamplighter, both of whom had written novels on this theme. 

I was writing a series of Urban Fantasy novels, and those stories had included a school. None of the action had taken place in the school, but I realised that the world I had created would allow me to produce a story. I  sent a note to L. Jagi, asking whether a 'St. Trinian's - style'  story would be acceptable. Her reply was encouraging, so I set about writing the story. The first draft was a bit long, and needed to be trimmed, but I was satisfied and sent it off. 

The story, 'A Polite Request from a Tough Soldier', was accepted. My only disappointment was that Chris and L. Jagi had received so many replies, they had decided to publish them in two books, and my story would be published in the second one.

Their feedback, always encouraging, was constructive. I was asked to trim the text further and downplay the role of one of the characters, which was easy enough.

The anthology, 'Fantastic Schools Volume 2' was published on Amazon a couple of weeks ago. 

Chris and L. Jagi have now issued another request for contributions and I am thinking of making a contribution. 

Request for feedback

This is thew blurb for my new novel. I have posted it on a Facebook writers' site, asking for feedback. 

The president thinks that a group of witches has put a curse on him. He is right, but the truth is more complicated than he thinks.

The British ambassador is using telepaths to send confidential reports to London. They know that their emails are being intercepted - and the ambassador’s blunt views of the president could provoke a crisis. 

But when an American radio talk show hears about these 'cypher clerks', he assumes that their role must be more sinister. They must be a conspiracy. He tries to guess the telepaths’ true role – and guesses wrong.

Mary has been trained by the secretive Guild of Magicians in England, then sent to New York. Her boss has told her that there are no magic users in the United States. The truth is more complicated. The American magic users are keeping their own secrets.

Oliver just wants to enjoy a simple playboy lifestyle in London and New York. Then his father orders him to do some social work for the Guild. If he doesn't, his allowance may be cut. Oliver is inclined to nurse a grudge, but then he meets Mary.

Then, in the Great Storm, the President suffers a near-death experience. He tells the world that the witches were responsible. Then he hears the allegations about the British Embassy. He tries to guess the telepaths’ true role. The wrong answer could provoke a crisis.

Research

 I have just returned from a trip to the Tower of London. The place is atmospheric - it's got a history going back 900 years.  The Warders carry out a ceremony every three years. 

They walk round the perimeter of the castle in full dress uniform. The children who are living in the tower at the time, and some from a local school, usually take part as  well. It is very colourful. I want to put the ceremony in my next Urban Fantasy novel.

I had considered using a photograph of the Tower as the cover of my novel. That was the purpose of the visit.

Moselsteig

 I have just returned from a six - day hiking holiday along the bank of the River Mosel in Germany. The journey was not intended for research for a novel. It was merely a way of escaping from my home. I had been stuck there since the lock-down began.

The Mosel flows through a narrow valley with steep sides. Every morning I would climb to the top of the gorge, then walk along the trail - the Moselsteig - before descending to a village at the end of the day.  I was lucky with the weather. It only rained twice, after the day's walk had ended. Unfortunately the restaurant manager, worrying about the Covid-19 precautions, had asked us to dine outside. 

The biggest setback came on the first day, before the hike began. I got off the train, chose a restaurant, switched on my phone, and read my emails. The first one informed me that Eurostar had cancelled my return journey. At first, I assumed that Eurostar had closed down completely. Would I have to take the ferry home? Then I realised that only one train had been cancelled. So I used my phone to book a seat on the first train the next day.  Unfortunately, that meant I had to arrange an extra night's stay in a hotel.

The other setback is that I now have to endure 14 days quarantine. 

Now that I am safely home, I shall pick up my writing. I have to arrange the publication of another book, the first in my 'Magicians' series. The first step is to find a cover artist.  

Publication of another novel

 The second novel in my Alternate History series, Greeks Bearing Gifts,

has now been sent for publication on Amazon Kindle. The next step will be to arrange the printing of a paperback version. That will have to be proof-read.

I now intend to line-edit and publish the first novel in my Urban Fantasy series. I hope to do that within six weeks. 

I now have four of these urban fantasy novels in some stage of development.