Sharpshooter has hit a stumbling block or three, which means my release date will be pushed back. I hoped to have it out this year, but it’s looking likely that it will go into 2024. Now this is annoying, but it is completely my own fault, not that of my Dauntless Crew, busy proofing and …
Tag Archives: fantasy
Sequel Bait
I’ve been working on War Mages again, only this time, the second book. I was torn between calling it Stormtrooper and Hard Target, but here’s the blurb anyway. *** The Great War is paused by a ceasefire. Brokered by the Americans, it allows families across the world to count the cost. Still, the terror casts …
Scorch Dearth
Sounds like a Napalm Death album. I write with reference to my on-off, on-off love/hate affair with my Vampire Urban Thriller The Covenant. Last week I tore it to shreds, scrapping a 70,000-word bowl of utter dog water, down to something I could work with. I had just over 10,000 words left. Killing your darlings …
Cookie Crumbled (Part 2)
Success isn’t final, failure isn’t fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill. Right, let’s bake this biscuit. I’m going to refer to yesterday’s post a lot – don’t worry, I’m not going to dissect it, just bust it up a little to get the choc-chips out. 😊 One thing that struck …
Nervous Deposition
Agents. If you want to be Trad Pub’d (Traditionally Published, to those in the know, what, what) you need one. On Thursday last, I contacted a fellow to follow up my submission of my historical fantasy War Mages: Sharpshooter, emailed two weeks before. This agent has a solid client list and a quick turnaround, welcoming …
Second Helpings
Busy couple of weeks these last. Out of 12 Agents, so far I’ve had three replies to decline my manuscript, and five deadlines without reply (basically, no response). So, the quick thinkers that you are reveals there are only four left to come in, and they’re a while off. I have been working on other …
Agent Provocateur
No, not some band from the 1980’s, although there were a good few…I have submitted War Mages: Sharpshooter to twelve literary agents, so we’ll see how we do. I did my best to meet all the agent’s submission guidelines, so I hope I get a fair shot. What I did notice were so many different …
Let’s Go to Work
Well, Magic Pencil has the manuscript for my Alternative Historical Fantasy War Mages: Sharpshooter, and whilst they bounce the red marker across it, I have to start the laborious task of getting things ready for one of the most nerve-wracking, and frustrating trials a writer can face: Querying. NOTE: There are other horrific trials I …
Picking Up The Pace
Gone through the editor’s report with a fine tooth comb, made lots of amendments, hopefully made the plot and context of the scenes in War Mages: Sharpshooter a lot stronger. Now it’s another full readthrough and line edit to make the pacing lean and tight. Then it’s off to the copyeditor and proof-reader at Magic …
Not Dead Yet
Non Covid cold and flu for three weeks – or at least the swizzle-sticks are telling me that. Am finding it hard to write or work with a lot going on at the moment. The cold has brought out other long-term complaints too, so I’m walking around with a bellyful of Fed Up. However… With …
Mightier Is The Pen 